Max Verstappen cleared to race GT3s at Nordschleife

Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Versatppen raced at Nurburgring Nordschleife over the weekend and obtained the permit necessary to get behind the wheel of a GT3 class car at the famed German track.

Red Bull Racing cleared the 27-year-old Dutchman, arguably the world's best race car driver, to make his debut in the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), which holds all its races at the motorsports complex in Nurburg.

His fame and status aside, Verstappen still had to sit for a theory exam in order to gain access to the series. Saturday, he competed in a four-hour race alongside British driver Chris Lulham, driving a Porsche GT4 Cayman in the Verstappen.com Racing x Red Bull livery.

Verstappen completed his objective of driving 14 laps around the track split between two cars. But one of the cars, the No. 89 car, sustained damage during qualifying and left Verstappen unable to turn a wheel.

The committee overseeing permit decisions, however, reviewed Verstappen's case and granted him the DMSB Permit A.

"I had fun, but that's always the case here," Verstappen said afterwards, per Motorsport.com. "It was also good to drive those stints in race conditions with traffic, so both faster and slower cars. There was a ‘code 60' neutralisation, double yellows and yellow flags.

"I drove in the rain, on a dry track, and in between. I learned where there is more and less grip and did a start as well. It was nice to gain more experience on this circuit."

Verstappen can enter the ninth round of the NLS two weeks from now -- and he'll be eligible to drive a GT3 car, which are more powerful than GT4s.

Verstappen also indicated that he wants to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

"There is only one circuit like the Nordschleife," Verstappen said. "It's a challenging track: today we saw that on such a long lap it can be dry in one section while wet in another. The asphalt also varies depending on the place. That makes it difficult to connect everything together, and that's what makes it so special. To race here for 24 hours in a GT3 car would be amazing."