Verstappen hailed by F1 drivers for impressive performance

There may be no current F1 driver more aligned with Verstappen than Fernando Alonso. Two pure racers, both with multiple world titles in Formula 1, and both with successful ventures outside the sport. Alonso won the 24 Hours of Le Mans twice, a race that is also high on Verstappen’s wishlist. The Aston Martin driver speaks passionately about endurance racing and closely followed Verstappen’s race weekend on the Nordschleife.

Despite the fact Verstappen Racing failed to finish due to a technical issue, the four-time world champion clearly left a strong impression on his fellow F1 drivers. Nobody seemed surprised that Verstappen was already on course for victory during his debut, especially based on what the Dutchman had already shown during his previous NLS appearances.

Carlos Sainz was among those impressed as well, even though he did not watch the race himself. “No, I couldn't watch the race but the only thing I've seen is obviously a lot of media around it and a lot of positive feedback from the race itself. I heard Max was pretty handy too, but I was expecting that. Only positive news, feedback, videos from me, but I couldn't watch the race.”

During the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, George Russell posted on social media showing he was watching the race on television. The Mercedes driver has previously made no secret of the fact he would love to race on the Nordschleife himself one day, although his current focus remains on Formula 1. He also pointed out that Verstappen, with four world titles, has earned the right to explore other racing categories. Russell repeated that view in Canada, where he said Verstappen is in a different position compared to most drivers.

In the future, the Brit would like to compete in the race himself, but would he be open to doing it together with Verstappen in the same team? “Yeah, never say never. Who knows? As I said, never say never. Max is obviously one of the best,” Russell says with a telling grin when GPblog asks him the question. “I was asked a lot last year about being team-mates with him, but more in Formula 1 rather than sharing a seat. I’m up for it and would relish the opportunity to always go against the best, and that’s how I felt when I was team-mates with Lewis, and still how I feel about Max. As any driver, you want to go head-to-head with the best.”

The only thing the Mercedes driver does not like the sound of is Verstappen being his team manager. “Yeah, I’m not sure about that,” he laughs. Verstappen himself also laughed initially when this website asked whether he would be interested in sharing a car with Russell one day. Regardless of whether he would want to or not, Verstappen approaches it differently: he is already fully committed to his GT3 project, while Russell’s focus currently remains entirely on Formula 1.

Teammate Isack Hadjar couldn’t tear himself away from the TV. “I had his onboard on my TV,” he says. “I think I fell asleep around 2am, but I watched most of the race. Then I woke up to the news that they had to retire the car.” That happened with about three hours left in the race. The driveshaft of the #3 Mercedes failed, causing the car with Juncadella at the wheel to drop further back and ultimately leaving no choice but to park the car in the garage.

Hadjar enjoyed the race regardless. “Honestly, it was great fun to watch. It’s such a different kind of racing and it requires a completely different approach, so it was definitely interesting to follow. It’s pretty wild at times. Especially when you think you’ve got enough of a gap to the car behind, but then you get held up in traffic,” he continues.

The Frenchman is particularly impressed by the way drivers have to maneuver through slower traffic in narrow, fast corners while also being chased from behind. “At the same time, you have to be careful because it’s a 24-hour race, so you can’t afford to pick up any damage. It’s definitely a very different approach, but really interesting,” the Red Bull driver concludes.

Gabriel Bortoleto, who maintains a good relationship with Verstappen, closely followed his good friend. “Yeah, I watched most of the race, if I'm honest. I spent most of my weekend watching that, yeah,” he admits. When asked if he was cheering for Verstappen, he answers: “Yeah, absolutely. I watched it even when he was not racing. I think it's an amazing race. It's very challenging and he did an amazing job. He was going to win if he didn't have the issue in the car that he had. He shows the level that he is at and the level also his teammates have.”

Asked if he himself ever wants to race the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, the Brazilian replies: “Maybe in the future. Right now my focus is fully on F1, but in a few years I’d definitely like to race it.”

A wide smile appears on Oliver Bearman’s face when this site asks him about Verstappen’s performance. “Yeah, I was watching in and out. I was also quite busy doing my own stuff, but it was really cool to see. Very unfortunate to see how it finished, but I think Max, along with his teammates, proved that they had what it took to win. Really, really cool to see that race.”

Bearman also has some experience on the Nordschleife himself. “I've driven it a lot on the simulator but only I've only done one lap in real life and that was my dad driving in a SUV,” laughs the Haas driver. He’d like to give it a go someday, but for the young Brit that moment is still a long way off. “One day, one day. It's not something I'm thinking about now. Max has won four world titles and is one of the best drivers, if not the best driver on the grid. So I think he has earned the right to go and explore other categories, and that's not something I've done. So like I said, maybe one day.”