Verstappen effect hits Nurburgring: 'We had to limit the number of tickets'

The four-time world champion, having already attended several NLS events over the past year as preparation for a potential Nürburgring 24 Hours entry, is now set to take part in his first endurance race of this length. Unsurprisingly, media attention surrounding the Dutchman - and the reaction from fans - is at an all-time high.

The event will already get underway on Thursday, with the opening qualifying sessions scheduled from 13:15 to 15:15 local time and from 20:00 to 23:30, before building towards the main moment of the weekend at 15:00 on Saturday, when the cars will cross the line for the first time and officially begin the 24-hour countdown.

Ahead of the race weekend, Hornung admitted organisers had been overwhelmed by the level of interest shown by both long-time Nurburgring fans and newcomers drawn in by Verstappen’s participation. The race director explained that officials have been working closely with the Nurburgring and local authorities to guarantee a safe and organised experience for spectators, adding that ticket sales had to be capped for the first time in the event’s more than 50-year history due to the unprecedented demand.

"Of course, we are happy about the huge response from long-standing and new fans, who have literally overrun us this year," he said as per Auto Motor und Sport. "At the same time, however, we are of course working closely with the Nürburgring and the authorities to ensure an orderly and safe stay for all visitors. Therefore, for the first time in more than 50-year history of the 24h Nürburgring, we had to limit the number of tickets."

SUPER GT driver João Paulo Oliveira was left unimpressed by the way Max Verstappen’s recent Fuji outing was presented in Red Bull’s promotional video. The footage, released over the past few days, showed the four-time Formula 1 world champion taking on Atsushi Miyake in wet conditions at Fuji Speedway, with Verstappen immediately delivering eye-catching lap times despite the difficult track conditions.

On a rain-soaked circuit, the Dutchman reportedly lapped close to two seconds quicker than the reference time set by the Japanese GT500 driver, sparking widespread discussion online. Oliveira, however, felt the comparison failed to properly reflect how rapidly conditions can evolve during wet-weather running, arguing that lap times can vary significantly within minutes depending on the state of the track. The Brazilian driver also suggested the video did not give enough credit to the level of the SUPER GT championship and the drivers currently competing in the series.