There’s hardly a driver who’s a racing fanatic as much as Max Verstappen. So much so that the Dutchman is ready to go to any extent to have his chances at racing; oftentimes, Verstappen has shared his willingness to race in other categories alongside F1 but couldn’t due to restrictions from Red Bull. Despite this, he recently wished to take part in endurance racing.
Through one of his recent replies on Instagram, the Dutchman made his wish public. However, at the same time, he also revealed the only issue that will hinder his chances of joining the race, keeping aside his team’s unwillingness to let him race.
Admittedly, the two-time world champion makes his presence known in multiple online racing series when he is away from the paddock. Apart from having his team, he also races for Team Redline and participates in online simulator races.
What’s stopping Verstappen from attending the race?
According to a Reddit post, the Red Bull star says he needs to have a Nord license to race at Nurburgring. Interestingly, with this revelation, he completely snubbed the idea that it was his team who wasn’t willing to risk him by letting him race in Germany.
The Nord license is a specific kind of license or permission before they can race at Nurburgring Nordschleife. According to German automaker BMW’s official website, a driver must have the DMSB [Deutscher Motor Sport Bund] Permit Nordschleife, known as DPN or the Nord license.
This is a critical requirement to race at the famous track, apart from a suitable vehicle and enough racing experience. This license is a must to appear in Nürburgring Endurance Series, the ADAC qualifying race for the 24h race, the ADAC 24 Hours, and so on.
Notably, the Nurburgring Nordschleife is also a track known for its high-speed turns and is prone to accidents. No wonder why it’s known as “Green Hell.” And this is the reason why the Austrian team could be reluctant to let the 25-year-old race.
Verstappen and his online racing
The Dutch driver is a regular when it comes to online racing. Apart from his friendly races against fellow drivers Lando Norris, Charles Leclerc, and Alex Albon, he also races for Team Redline, where he made a name for himself.
With over ten years of sim racing experience, the defending F1 champion has also been the 2019 LMP2 Endurance winner at Silverstone. However, he has often complained about the drawback of online racing compared to real racing.
Due to constant lagging, ping issues, and disconnection, Max Verstappen has often left frustrated at sim racing. And this time, no wonder he wants to take the real track at Nurburgring Nordschleife, no longer the online one.
