Max Verstappen is competing in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring this weekend as he makes his return to the legendary German circuit. But the Dutchman's past appearances have occasionally caused controversy.
From Saturday to Sunday, the four-time Formula 1 world champion has exchanged his Red Bull RB22 for a Mercedes-AMG GT3 as he and three team-mates tackle one of Europe's leading endurance races at the Nurburgring. The event is taking place on the full 15.7-mile circuit, including the famous Nordschleife, known as the 'Green Hell', where F1 races were held until 1976 before it was considered too hazardous alongside other logistical issues. The late Niki Lauda's near-fatal accident happened there that year.
Verstappen is well acquainted with the Nordschleife, revealing he has driven thousands of laps of the track on his home simulator before making his debut in 2025. He piloted a Ferrari 296 GT3 for Emil Frey Racing on his first competitive GT3 outing. He is racing under the Verstappen Racing banner in the SP9 (GT3) Pro class, with the race having started at 3pm on Saturday and running until 3pm on Sunday, with four drivers taking turns. But during earlier visits to the venue, Verstappen has sparked some controversy, as Mirror Sport looks back at his rule-breaking race victory and the demands for a ban.
Stripped of NLS Race
In the year leading up to this 24 Hours of Nurburgring, Verstappen has got to grips with the circuit on multiple occasions, including in March at the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). Verstappen and team-mates Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, who joined forces with him on Saturday, finished more than a minute clear of their rivals. However, the crew, who drove a Mercedes-AMG GT3, were disqualified after breaching the permitted tyre limit. The 28-year-old's team used seven sets, but the limit was six.
The victory was handed to Rowe Racing. Verstappen Racing released a statement which read: "Tough outcome, but we keep moving. A lot to take from the weekend and plenty to look forward to."
Juan Pablo Montoya Calls for Action
The perils of the 'Green Hell' are well-documented. In April, a qualifying race was overshadowed by a seven-car pile-up in which Finnish driver Juha Miettinen tragically lost his life. Verstappen was competing that day but did not continue after the incident. In the wake of this tragedy, former F1 star Juan Pablo Montoya believes Red Bull should have stopped Verstappen from taking to the Nordschleife due to the danger involved. He said on the MontoyAS podcast: "There could be an accident, he could break his leg or arm. The money that Red Bull has invested in him should be enough reason to say, 'Look, we gave you the chance, but with this accident we are reconsidering it and we think that this should not happen.' If I had been the boss of Red Bull, I would have called Max and said, 'Sir, please, don't get in the car anymore.' It's something I think they really need to reconsider. For example, it's true that several times during my career I was invited to drive rally cars and do tests. I would have loved that, but they never let me drive. You are investing in the driver - a big investment. Then you have to protect him."
Helmut Marko's Ban
Remarkably, former Red Bull chief Helmut Marko had already enforced exactly such a ban on Verstappen. Back in 2023, the Dutchman endeavoured to complete a demo run of the circuit in an F1 car. It was at Red Bull's 'Formula Nurburgring' event three years ago that Verstappen sought to achieve this, as Daniel Ricciardo and Yuki Tsunoda hit the tarmac. Nevertheless, Marko admits he did not let Verstappen try a run. He told F1-Insider: "Years ago, Max told me enthusiastically about the Nordschleife. He wanted to do a demo run with a Red Bull Formula 1 car. But with me, all alarm bells went off at that time. There was no question of a demo run! That was too dangerous for me. That's why I put a stop to it and banned it."
