You’ll no doubt have heard, for some time now, that Max Verstappen is dissatisfied in his £50m-a-year role as a Red Bull Formula One driver. The four-time world champion, the sport’s standout driver, was unashamedly grumpy throughout much of last season, despite his title near-miss. This year, his exasperation with F1’s new set of flawed engine and chassis regulations has sent him, with no bluster, to the brink of the exit door.
The F1 exit door, that is; not motorsport altogether.
On the contrary, Verstappen is unearthing his racing prowess and competitive instincts in fresh ways. A year ago, he set his heart on a new challenge: the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife, a devilish 20.832km circuit in Germany’s Rhineland-Palatinate state, coined “The Green Hell” by Jackie Stewart in 1968. This weekend, he competes in the prestigious 24 Hours of the Nurburgring event. And no prizes for guessing his overarching aim.
“Success is winning,” he said this week. “That’s why we’re here. I know it’s not going to be easy, but that’s the target for everyone.”
The irrepressible Dutchman’s newfound enthusiasm for endurance racing is striking. Twelve months ago, his initial trial run at the Nurburgring took place under a comical pseudonym, Franz Hermann, so chosen to make it “as German as we can”. In a Ferrari 296, he unofficially broke the GT3 track record, learning the circuit in a rare instance of anonymity. Slowly, the secret was out. And petrolheads the continent-over went into overdrive.
A week on, at Verstappen’s customary print media session at Imola, Verstappen’s Red Bull press officer had to intervene. “OK, that’s enough now,” she smiled, after the team’s No 1 driver was bombarded with a series of questions – largely from German journalists – about his first foray around the renowned site. Yet it was notable how he was not vexed, as he can often be in compulsory dealings with the press, by such queries.
Whether it be in F1 or endurance classes, what is unmistakable about Verstappen is that he doesn’t do things by half. Fast-forward to last September and Verstappen completed a “theory test and driving evaluation” – this is an F1 driver with over 200 grands prix to his name – as old-school regulations dictated.
By now, thousands of fans were attending bog-standard NLS (Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie) race meets, taking place between F1 races. There was clamour, but not from the man himself, who earned his Grade A permit despite technical issues with a sister car.
A few weeks later, he made his GT3 race debut alongside Chris Lulham and won. Verstappen carved out a lead of over one minute before Lulham took it home. It made Verstappen the first defending F1 champion to compete in another racing series since Keke Rosberg’s 1983 World Sportscar Championship appearance. And despite re-entering the F1 championship battle in the final months of last season, there was no doubt which class Verstappen was enjoying more.
Much of that sentiment no doubt stemmed from what Verstappen knew was coming. The 28-year-old spoke back in 2023 about his concerns for the 2026 regulations, featuring a near 50/50 power unit split of internal combustion and electrical power. Lifting and coasting in qualifying and at the end of straights had long been forecast in the simulator; now it is reality.
As such, Verstappen’s comments in these early months of the 2026 campaign should not come as any surprise. “Anti-racing” was one, “Formula E on steroids” was another. He has mooted quitting the sport at the end of the season. Whether Red Bull’s re-emergence as a frontrunning threat at the last race in Miami changes his holistic viewpoint remains to be seen.
However, Verstappen’s disgruntlement in the single-seater cockpit is stark in its juxtaposition to this weekend’s experience. Of the unique racing-in-the-night thrill on Saturday evening, he replied: “It’s probably going to be the best feeling. You’re by yourself, pushing in the night. The car is normally fastest in the night, so I’m looking forward to it.”
The benefits of Verstappen’s newfound passion work both ways, too. The NLS has seen an unprecedented rise in ticket sales and broadcast contracts. In March, they actually moved one of their scheduled rounds to accommodate Verstappen’s participation, between F1 races in China and Japan. This correspondent has already stated that Verstappen should take a one-year sabbatical from F1 at the end of the season; this weekend will tell us a lot about where the Dutchman sees his short-term future.
Competing for CP racing in a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo – note: Mercedes – Verstappen will share duties with Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer this weekend. The Nurburgring’s extreme sequence of corners and dramatic elevation changes makes for the ultimate racing challenge and danger. Only last month, at an NLS race meet, 66-year-old driver Juha Miettinen tragically died after a crash involving seven cars.
But Verstappen, as we all know, is a fearless competitor. Unable to satisfy his quest for exhilaration in Formula One, the Dutchman – who needed Red Bull’s sign-off to compete – is eager to master one of motorsport’s most electrifying venues. An expected crowd of 300,000 will be there to bear witness over the weekend – and don’t be startled if Verstappen is one of four on top of the podium come Sunday afternoon.
