Several Formula 1 drivers watched Max Verstappen’s exploits on the Nordschleife with great interest. The four-time world champion used an F1-free weekend between Miami and Montreal to tick off one of the endurance races that had long been at the top of his list, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Victory ultimately slipped away due to a driveshaft issue, but Verstappen’s performance still earned him widespread praise from both the GT3 world and colleagues in the F1 paddock.
Red Bull team-mate Isack Hadjar was among those impressed by Verstappen’s endurance racing adventures in the German Eifel.
“I had his onboard camera on my TV running. I fell asleep around 2am, I think, so I watched most of his racing and I woke up to the news that he had to retire the car,” Hadjar said when asked by Motorsport.com.
“But it was honestly good fun, it was good to watch. It’s very different racing and a different approach that you’ve got to take, so definitely interesting to look at.”
That different approach is closely linked to the traffic that is an inherent part of multi-class racing. Add the narrow Nordschleife with its many elevation changes to that, and Hadjar saw a significant challenge from the onboard footage.
#3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO: Max Verstappen, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon, Lucas Auer
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
“It’s crazy, especially when you think you’ve got a lead on the car behind you, but then you get slowed down and you’re actually in very narrow high-speed sections. You’ve got to sneak through very small gaps and there’s a car behind you flashing its lights at you.
“I mean it’s a completely different approach to racing. Also you’ve got to be careful because it’s a 24-hour race, so you can’t really pick up any damage. It’s definitely a different approach, but very interesting.”
Speaking about the risk-versus-reward balance, Daniel Juncadella shared an interesting anecdote post-race. The Spaniard took the start for Verstappen Racing and, according to him, that was because Verstappen had admitted that he knows himself well enough to know he would have gone all-out in the opening stint and immediately started fighting for position.
After watching Verstappen’s onboard footage, Hadjar admitted he would also like to race in the Green Hell one day, although he stressed that he has not yet earned the right to do so: “I would love to, but at the moment it’s just that I can’t really allow myself to do that. I’m just focused on F1, but yeah, maybe one day.”
Perez laughs about rental car adventures on the Nordschleife
Lando Norris already said in Miami that his Nordschleife excursion in a McLaren 750S was “the most fun” the reigning world champion had had all year.
Norris is certainly not alone in that regard, as Cadillac driver Sergio Perez also has fond memories of his laps around the 25-kilometre circuit.
Sergio Perez, Cadillac Racing
Photo by: Chris Graythen / Getty Images
“I really like that circuit. I’ve done it when I used to race in Formula BMW in Germany. I always used to take my rental car for a lap or two in the Nordschleife. It’s really, really enjoyable.”
Asked whether he usually managed to return those rental cars in one piece, Perez laughed: “Not very often!”
Fernando Alonso is one of the drivers who knows firsthand what it takes to win iconic endurance races, and the Spaniard was impressed by the way Verstappen acquitted himself.
“Endurance racing has some magic in these 24-hour races. You have this incredible traffic management skill that you need to have. You need to share the car and the setup with all the drivers, you need to rely on them, you need to play as a teamwork in general.
“And then on top of that, you need to have luck, which is what Max missed last time. Winning 24-hour races is not the most straightforward thing. It doesn’t depend only on you. You need a couple of attempts.”
Verstappen has already made it clear that he intends to do exactly that. If the F1 calendar allows it, he will return to the Nordschleife, as the Red Bull driver considers it a race he absolutely wants to win.
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