The Dutchman secured his Nordschleife Permit A last weekend after passing the necessary theory exam and completing fourteen race laps in the Nurburgring Langstrecken Series with Lionspeed GP.
He drove a Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS, although one of the two cars he had lined up was sidelined due to damage. Despite this setback, officials accepted his effort under special conditions, allowing him to take a major step towards his long-held endurance racing dream.
Verstappen has said the experience gave him valuable knowledge of the circuit. “It rained, it was dry, and you get more experience on the track dealing with traffic as a slower car, which is not always the easiest,” he explained. “My dream is eventually to do the 24 Hour race, so I knew I needed the licence, and it was the perfect opportunity to do so.”
Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko, who competed in endurance racing during his own career, has confirmed the team will not stand in Verstappen’s way. “Helmut was very excited about it, he sees how passionate I am about it and what I am doing it for,” Verstappen added.
The 24-hour classic is scheduled for 15–17 May 2026, which falls neatly between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix. However, the Dutchman has warned that the early part of the season will be exhausting, with six races in nine weeks from the opener in Australia on 8 March to Miami on 3 May, plus pre-season testing and a sprint weekend in China.
The new technical regulations, which will reshape Formula 1 in 2026, are set to add further pressure on drivers and teams.
“Of course, how much I can do in an F1 season is a bit tricky and also next year with the new regulations, it is already hard enough, but we will see how everything goes,” Verstappen admitted.
Reports suggest Verstappen could return to the Nordschleife later this month for another run, this time in a Ferrari with Emil Frey Racing, to broaden his experience of the legendary circuit.
For now, his focus returns to the 2025 Formula 1 campaign, which continues with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix at Baku on 21 September. But looking ahead, balancing his F1 title fight with an assault on the Nurburgring 24 Hours may prove to be one of Verstappen’s toughest challenges yet.
