Why Red Bull’s F1 2026 success will determine Max Verstappen’s immediate GT racing career

Max Verstappen may have his Nordschleife racing licence, but any GT racing in 2026 will come down to how competitive Red Bull is next year.

Verstappen earned his required Permit ‘A’ from Nurburgring officials last weekend, having successfully competed in a detuned Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 car en route to victory in his class.

Max Verstappen on how he earned his Nurburgring licence

In order to take part in full-blooded GT3 racing at the German venue, Verstappen was required to take part in a weekend outing in a detuned (to 300bhp) Porsche in the CUP3(G) class to show proficiency in racing in a multi-class event.

While it may appear strange for a four-time F1 World Champion to be racing in an amateur class, the Dutch driver didn’t seek any special dispensations to be automatically awarded the required licence, and kept his powder dry to finish seventh overall in the CUP3 category.

Making his first media appearance since the race last weekend as he returned to his usual Red Bull F1 duties, Verstappen spoke on Thursday in Azerbaijan about his enjoyment of the event at the Nurburgring.

“I knew that I needed to get my permit, so I had to do that race in a GT4 car,” he said.

“Of course, the car itself, downtuned, is not the most exciting to drive, but, on the other hand, you still learn a lot from a day like that.

“Luckily, it rained a bit, and it was dry, so you get more experience on the track dealing with traffic as a slower car, not always the easiest. The rest was just staying out of trouble, really.

“At the end of the day, I think any kind of lap that you drive around there, in any kind of car, is always fun, when you try to push it a bit, you see a lot of what is happening around you.

“The atmosphere is really good. A lot of passionate endurance fans are always there anyway. It’s kind of my hobby as well, racing in other kinds of motorsport than just F1, and, of course, my dream is eventually to do the 24-hour race.

“So I knew that the license needed to come, so it was the perfect opportunity to do so.”

Having taken time out of his busy schedule to take part in the extra-curricular racing event, Verstappen said he hadn’t felt any nerves about potentially not earning his licence – something that isn’t guaranteed, had he ended up making a mistake in traffic or being involved in any racing incidents.

“I would say, an hour after the race, it was pretty clear that I was gonna get [the licence], he said.

“I was also not involved in any kind of accident or yellow flag infringement. So it was quite clear-cut.”

As for the process itself, there had been dialogue with the race organisers on how best to streamline earning the Permit A, given his existing knowledge of racing.

“I think they were super helpful to me. Of course, we talked to them about how we can make it as smooth as possible,” he said.

“Because with some things, like sitting in a classroom, for example, like… we went on the track, we did a lap, and you explain a bit more of the things.

“It’s also not that I’m a total rookie to the track. Sometimes people are, like, fully amateur. They don’t even know the track, right?

“So then it needs a different kind of coaching. But I’ve already done thousands of laps around there, plus the test that I did before.

“But honestly, they were always very helpful. I know, of course, rules are rules, so you have to stick to them. But, at the same time, they were very open-minded, and I think it worked out very well at the end.”

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Is Max Verstappen set to race in the Nurburgring 24 Hours?

Having earned his Permit A, Verstappen is now eligible to race in top-level events at the Nordschleife, such as the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

The four-time F1 World Champion can now race in a GT3 car, such as the Ferrari 296 he tested at the circuit in May, en route to an unofficial self-claimed lap record.

While next year’s Nurburgring 24 Hours won’t clash with the F1 calendar as it falls on an off weekend between the Miami and Canadian Grands Prix, Verstappen said it’s too early to say for certain whether he will compete.

This is down to the uncertainty about next year’s F1 campaign, with Red Bull embarking on its first season as a fully autonomous entry as the Red Bull Powertrains power unit hits the track for the first time.

Given that the season is the first of the new regulations, meaning continuous work from all the teams and manufacturers to adjust to the revolutionary regulations, Verstappen’s participation would likely come down to Red Bull hitting its stride straight away.

“For me, it’s very important to be able to do those things [outside F1],” he said.

“Of course, how much I can do during an F1 season is a bit tricky.

“Also, next year, new regulations, it’s already hard enough in Formula 1, but yeah, we’ll just see how everything goes.

“It depends on how next season goes with the new rules. It’s impossible to say now if I can compete in other things outside of that.”

With Red Bull eager to keep its star driver happy as his future is only certain for next year, despite his contract running until 2028, Verstappen does have the support of team advisor Helmut Marko.

“Helmut is very excited about it,” he said.

“He also sees how passionate I am about it and what I’m doing for it. He has raced in endurance himself, so it’s easier to relate to.”

As for whether taking part in another prestige event, such as the Le Mans 24 Hours, would set Verstappen off down the path of chasing motorsport’s ‘Triple Crown’ of winning at Monaco in F1, Le Mans in endurance, and the Indy 500 in IndyCar, Verstappen said he has no desire to ever go oval racing.

“Le Mans yes, but I’m not interested in the Triple Crown,” he said.

“I enjoy watching IndyCar. I do not need to drive it myself.”

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