Max Verstappen spends his days off differently to most of his rivals. While the rest of the grid grabbed a breather between Monza and Baku, the reigning World Champion disappeared into the Eifel, sat a written test, passed a driving exam, and then hustled a Porsche Cayman 718 GT4 CS around the Nordschleife to earn his Permit A for the ‘Green Hell’.
It was classic Verstappen: box-ticking precision with a dash of chaos. After logging 14 laps in the #980 entry during the four-hour ADAC ACAS Cup — the mileage he needed to qualify — he was meant to jump into the #89 car for a few more. That plan died with a qualifying shunt. No problem; after some deliberation, Germany’s DMSB still signed off his Permit A. Translation: Verstappen can now race a GT3 car at the Nürburgring, including the 24 Hours, should he fancy it and the calendar allow.
That little side quest drew a mix of admiration and resignation in the paddock. Admiration, because this is the Nordschleife and Verstappen made it look like a casual Sunday spin. Resignation, because there’s precisely zero chance most team bosses are letting their drivers anywhere near the place.
“I hope I’m at the stage one day in my career where I can do like Max and just drive whatever he wants and do it for pure passion,” said Haas rookie Oliver Bearman, who’s been drinking in F1 at full blast this season. “Of course, I’m not at that stage yet, but it’s so impressive to see what he’s able to do, and shows how talented he is as a driver. It’s insane.
“I think he’s the best driver that we’ve ever seen, probably, and the fact he’s able to rock up to the Nordschleife… it’s so cool. For a group of us guys who are all just passionate about racing cars, that’s cool to see.”
Bearman’s own Nürburgring “experience” is a world away from Verstappen’s. He did a lap as a teenager in the family Audi Q7 when he was racing German F4 at the GP loop. Dad drove. Mum screamed. Bearman, aged about 15, called the corners from the passenger seat. “We did one with my mom in the back, and I had to go in the front to tell my dad what corner was coming next,” he laughed. “On lap two, we went a little bit quicker, but then at the end of the lap, we stopped, and the brake fluid was coming out of the calipers. That wasn’t great, so we decided not to do the final lap because we needed that car for the school run the next day.”
Charming story. None of it will move Haas team principal Ayao Komatsu one inch. Asked whether he’d give his drivers the green light to chase their own Nordschleife permits, his answer was short and unmistakable.
“Max is Max,” Komatsu said earlier this year, when Verstappen first turned up at the ‘Ring in a GT3. Would he let Bearman or Esteban Ocon do the same? “No.”
“Step by step. Max is a multiple World Champion, right? Ollie is a rookie. Even Esteban, he’s got still lots to prove. He’s focused. What’s the benefit of them racing in another race? I think they have fun driving an F1 car. They’re pretty lucky that they’re driving an F1 car for their job. That’s lots of fun, I think.”
It’s a familiar tension. Drivers want to drive — anything, anywhere — and teams want to bubble-wrap them. Verstappen, by sheer weight of status and success, lives on a different plane. He’s got the leverage and the appetite. And, by the sound of it, the bug.
“I was on the plane with him here so we had a good chat about it,” said Williams’ Alex Albon, who flew to Baku with Verstappen after the Nürburgring weekend. “He loves his GT racing. I would say he definitely enjoys it more than I do. He’s a guy who just loves racing, and it’s fun to just talk to him about it, because it’s a clear passion of his. I think it’s partly what separates him to everyone else. He just can’t stop driving. So good for him. It looked like he was invested in it, that’s for sure.”
For Verstappen, the permit is more than a vanity stamp; it opens the door to one of motorsport’s great challenges and underlines how broad his horizons are away from Formula 1. Whether he actually races the 24 Hours will come down to calendars, commitments and risk appetite from Red Bull. But on the evidence of his Nürburgring weekend — dutifully studying for a written test one day, threading a GT4 the next — you wouldn’t bet against him finding a way.
And if you’re wondering how the paddock feels watching him moonlight while they recharge? There’s a sense of awe, a little envy, and more than a few team bosses quietly thanking their lucky stars their drivers don’t have that kind of clout. In 2025, Verstappen’s still setting the standard on Sundays. Apparently, he wants the rest of the week, too.
