Max Verstappen, his Ferrari 296 GT3 is ready

The long-awaited day for thousands of fans and Max Verstappen enthusiasts is finally approaching. This Saturday, the Dutch driver will take part in the NLS race at Nurburgring — the German endurance championship featuring GT3, GT4, and TCR cars battling it out. Race 9 will be the penultimate round of the season, taking place exactly two weeks after Race 7. Does that ring a bell? That was the race where the four-time world champion took part behind the wheel of a Porsche GT4. All of this was necessary to pass the mandatory driving tests required for anyone wishing to compete in a GT3 race on the same track.

And of course, Max Verstappen passed all the required tests without the slightest issue, placing in the Top 8 of his category driving a detuned Porsche 718 GT4 (used for rookies) — an incredible result. Keep in mind that his car had around 125 horsepower less than the other GT4 competitors. But this weekend will be a whole different story, with no limitations of any kind.

This time, Verstappen will be driving the queen of endurance racing: the stunning Ferrari 296 GT3. Equipped with a 2.9L V6 engine producing around 600 horsepower — balanced by the BoP regulations — the car promises serious performance.

Ferrari 296 GT3 Emil Frey racing for Max Verstappen

Max will share the cockpit of the Ferrari 296 GT3, fielded by the Swiss team Emil Frey Racing and wearing the “Verstappen.com Racing x Red Bull” livery, with British driver Chris Lulham. The 22-year-old races in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance and Sprint Cups for Verstappen.com Racing, and has long competed with Verstappen in the virtual world as part of Team RedLine.

Verstappen’s passion for sim racing has made him deeply familiar with the Nurburgring Nordschleife — the legendary 21-km German circuit that will host the race. And trust us, mastering the track’s 160+ corners takes weeks or even months — something that a driver of Max’s calibre can definitely handle.

“Racing in GT3 cars — especially with a Ferrari 296 — is a true passion of mine. I’m really excited,” says Verstappen. “I just love racing, not only in Formula 1. Every lap around the Nordschleife is a unique experience: the atmosphere is incredible, and there are so many endurance fans. Competing in categories like the NLS outside F1 is a real hobby for me. One of my biggest dreams is to race in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. That track is right at the top of my list because it’s such a huge challenge — it’s long, historic, and extremely demanding from a technical standpoint.”

Around 110 cars are expected to line up for the NLS race 9 Nurburgring event, with qualifying scheduled for 8:30 AM, followed by the start of the Barbarossapreis race at 12:00 noon. As always, we’ll be following the race with you via the live stream linked below.