Verstappen's GT3 debut causes unprecedented scenes at the Nordschleife

Max Verstappen made his debut in the GT3 class on the Nordschleife in the early hours of Saturday morning. The session began 30 minutes late due to dense fog around the circuit.

Verstappen showed immediate pace but was denied pole position due to heavy traffic. The Dutchman felt confident about his car right after the session and believed he had a shot at the victory.

Two weeks ago, Verstappen made his Nordschleife debut, which caused quite a stir. His participation initially flew under the radar, as he was not on the entry list and did not yet hold a Nordschleife licence.

This time, Verstappen participating in the GT3 race was heavily advertised. His own brand, Verstappen.com, even released a special collection for the occasion. Ahead of the weekend, the organisers already expected a crowd, and they were not wrong.

While it was relatively quiet for the qualifying, mayhem broke out when spectators were allowed into the pit lane and onto the grid before the race. There was a huge crowd around Verstappen's pit box and his car was barely visible on the starting grid.

The marshals therefore struggled to clear the fans from the grid in time for the formation lap. Once the fans went to the stands, it was calm again in the pit lane.

Verstappen drove the first two hours of the race. Although he started from P3, he immediately took the lead. The Red Bull Racing driver was able to build up a large gap before handing the steering wheel over to teammate Chris Lulham.

Although the Briton maintained the gap for a while, problems caused it to shrink — but it was still enough to secure victory.

Verstappen arrived at the pit wall 15 minutes before the end of the race to celebrate with his team when the chequered flag was waved, which is why he was slightly late for his post-race interview.

During the wait for the podium ceremony, a group of Dutch fans tried to get the crowd to sign ‘Tu-tu-tu-du, Max Verstappen.’ Although the German audience was initially slow to join, once Verstappen got on the podium, no one could stop that from happening.

The podium highlighted Verstappen’s playful side and the strong bond with Lulham. While most drivers tucked their trophies under their arms, Verstappen and Lulham hung theirs around their necks.

This was followed by the traditional champagne spraying. And although one might think that the four-time world champion would have enough experience in this, he had a hard time opening the bottle. Eventually he managed it, letting him and Lulham celebrate their victory.

Whether the Dutchman will be back in action on the Nordschleife during the final NLS race of the year in two weeks' time is unknown. The Dutchman is not yet registered for the next event.

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