Verstappen earns Nordschleife Permit A at Nürburgring

Max Verstappen spent a rare weekend away from Formula 1 at the Nürburgring, completing the tests and track miles required to earn the DMSB Nordschleife Permit A and opening the door to future GT3 competition at the Green Hell. The four‑time world champion drove a detuned Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 alongside Team Redline teammate Chris Lulham on Saturday, qualifying strongly and finishing first in the CUP3 guest subclass, seventh in the wider CUP3 field and 27th overall in the NLS7 four‑hour race.

Verstappen, who sat a written theory exam on Friday and initially obtained a Permit B, posted a best lap of 10:21.591 in wet to mixed conditions on the combined Grand Prix and Nordschleife layout, a time that several reports described as markedly faster than other CUP3G entrants. The size of that advantage varied by account; some outlets cited a margin of about 25 seconds to the next car in class, while others reported a far larger gap. Officials and teams confirmed that the Porsche was deliberately detuned to roughly 300 brake horsepower for the guest class, compared with around 425 bhp for full‑power GT4 entries, and carried additional ballast under the permit rules.