Nürburgring, Germany – Max Verstappen has officially been granted his DMSB Permit A, clearing the way for him to compete in GT3 machinery at the Nürburgring. The reigning Formula 1 World Champion achieved the milestone after making his racing debut in the ADAC Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS7).
Mission Completed Despite Setbacks
Max Verstappen entered the weekend with the aim of fulfilling the mileage requirements for a Permit A by sharing driving duties in two cars – the #89 and #980 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 entries. However, an incident during qualifying left the #89 car damaged, preventing him from taking part in that portion of the program.
That left Max Verstappen facing an anxious wait, as his laps behind the wheel of the Cayman GT4 alone were not enough to fully satisfy the criteria. Nevertheless, the Dutchman’s strong performance – which included 14 laps in mixed conditions – ultimately convinced officials to grant him the permit.
Ralf Schumacher Calls Debate “Embarrassing”
The delay in confirming Max Verstappen’s eligibility drew criticism from former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, who described the situation as “embarrassing.”
“Well, I would have given it to him straight away, of course,” Schumacher told Motorsport-Total.com.
“The best driver in the world will manage it if the others can do it, I’m pretty sure of that.”
Despite the debate, Max Verstappen followed the official process, passing an exam on Friday, gaining Permit B in practice, and completing enough race stints to meet the requirements.
Verstappen Reflects on Experience
After finishing seventh in the CUP3 class alongside teammate Chris Lulham, Max Verstappen expressed his satisfaction with the weekend’s outcome.
“I’m happy it all went smooth, and I got my DMSB Permit Nordschleife,” Verstappen told his official website.
“I really enjoyed myself, but that’s always the case around here. It was good to drive in traffic, with both faster and slower cars. I drove in the wet, the dry and in mixed conditions, so it was really good to gain more experience.”
He highlighted the unique challenges of the Nordschleife:
“Some parts of the track were dry and other parts wet. The surface also differs around the circuit, which makes it difficult to string a lap together, but that’s also what makes it special.”
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What’s Next?
With his Permit A secured, Max Verstappen is now eligible to contest the prestigious Nürburgring 24 Hours in a GT3 car.
“To contest a 24-hour race here, in a GT3 car, would be amazing,” he added.
Having achieved his goal, Verstappen flew home on Saturday night and will not race at the Nürburgring on Sunday.
