Nurburgring pays tribute to Verstappen: "Strengthened his credibility as a driver"

The Nordschleife itself has of course never faded from the spotlight among passionate motorsport fans who, in addition to Formula 1, also follow other disciplines. According to the Nurburgring, it’s only a good thing that Formula 1 fans are now joining in too, and that Verstappen is bringing extra attention. The region was already prosperous due to the enormous interest in the Nurburgring, and Verstappen has now given that an extra boost.

“Aside from the 24-hour race, the Nurburgring is a major economic factor all year round,” Gerhard says in an exclusive interview with GPblog. “Of course, even more people come to the region for the 24-hour race. Now, thanks to Max Verstappen, a few more are coming,” he laughs. “Whether that has such an enormous economic effect on the region, you couldn’t necessarily say. But the fact that Verstappen is now taking part as a racer, as an F1 driver, I think is a huge win-win situation for everyone involved.”

Gerhard sees that the 24h Nurburgring is now also reaching audiences who normally only follow F1. “I think, and advance ticket sales already show this, that it has further contributed to people wanting to see this race. On the other hand, I also think it has strengthened Max’s credibility as a driver one hundred percent. That’s what you read everywhere: Max Verstappen is still a true racer who still loves to race.”

It’s clear that the four-time world champion isn’t only interested in Formula 1, but also engages with everything that doesn’t fall under ‘the pinnacle of motorsport.’ “That’s something some drivers in the Formula 1 bubble are reproached for a bit, that they sit in that F1 cocoon. Max breaks that completely because, with a GT3, he’s much closer to the car,” Gerhard explains. “That makes the emotional bond much stronger.”

Driving on the Nordschleife then becomes extremely pure, and Verstappen enjoys that immensely. “I think he gets a lot of compliments from many people there for breaking out of this F1 bubble and placing himself on these GT3 starting grids. We have many teams, including amateur teams where people wrench on the car privately on weekends because it’s their hobby. He’s entering that bubble because he wants to. That’s a great honor for us.”

Gerhard believes that Verstappen also understands very well that the Nordschleife is a major benchmark for any driver. “He’s submitting himself a bit to the Nordschleife and saying: 'hey, I have to prove myself here too.' He went through that whole process last year, with a smaller vehicle, to obtain his Nordschleife license. He never showed fear, but always said: I’m doing all this because I want to. That’s wonderful for the motorsport community.”

It won’t be long before Verstappen, together with teammates Dani Juncadella, Lucas Auer, and Jules Gounon, takes on the 24-hour race. Gerhard seems to share the view of Mercedes-AMG boss Stefan Wendl, and expects Verstappen’s participation to push the other manufacturers to the limit. “It’s good for Formula 1, because you can see that the drivers who race in F1 are exceptional talents who can also perform in a GT3 on the Nordschleife,” he says.

“It also challenges other drivers in equally fast cars to show what they can do. So I think this competition that’s emerging here, with a current Formula 1 driver, adds another layer. It’s a symbiosis that is now coming together for the entire 24h Nurburgring world, and it’s doing the whole thing very good,” Gerhard concludes.