Red Bull reveals why Max Verstappen got Nurburgring 24 go ahead

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies said the team needed no convincing to allow Max Verstappen to compete in a 24-hour race at the Nurburgring.

Athletes’ contracts often come with stipulations as to what they can and can’t do away from the track but Verstappen is being allowed to compete in the endurance event later this year.

Red Bull quick to give Max Verstappen green light

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After a test last year, it seemed likely that Verstappen would compete at the Nurburgring eventually and that time has come with him featuring in the 24-hour race there later this year.

He will do so in a Red Bull-sponsored Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo and Mekies was asked how much convincing Red Bull needed to let their prized asset compete elsewhere.

The Frenchman though said it took no convincing at all.

“He doesn’t need to convince us, really. It’s enough to speak a few minutes with Max and you see his face lighten, his eyes lighten when he talks about racing cars.

“It doesn’t matter what type of cars. It’s great. We have seen it last year.

“He has done it quite a few times in between the races. You would think it’s taking energy from him, but in fact he comes back with more energy to the racetrack.

“He is in love with the sport, and it’s a great reminder to all of us that we are all motor sport fans. He’s a motor sport fan and he loves spending his free weekends racing.”

Verstappen himself has often repeated his belief that he does not want to wait in life to compete in other series, suggesting that F1 was not the be-all and end-all for him.

Asked about the race in Germany, he said friends have told him “it’s one of the best things ever.”

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“It’s one of the best races in the world, it’s one of the best tracks,” said Verstappen. “In a GT car, for me that’s like the perfect speed around there.

“I think if you go anything faster it can be a bit dangerous in places.

“I’ve been watching a long time, a lot of my friends have been racing in it, they say it’s one of the best things ever. I like racing other cars as well, so this was basically the first time I could do it. I’m very excited to see how we’re going to perform. It’s a very stacked line-up and field in general.

“All the big endurance races I want to do, it’s something that when I was a kid, my dad was doing them.

“I don’t need to be only an F1 driver, I can also do other things. I’ve done this already for a while, achieved everything I want to achieve so that’s why I want to explore other things and I don’t want to do them when I’m 40 years old. Now is the perfect age to do it.”

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