Verstappen Shines P7 in NLS despite less power

Wet track, 24 km of Nurburgring circuit and many rivals on it. Yet, even with 130 horsepower less as debutant, Max Verstappen delivered an incredibly solid race.

The seventh round of the NLS season at the Nürburgring saw total domination by the Porsche 911 GT3 R, which triumphed across all top categories. Taking the overall win was the #3 crew of Andlauer/Sturm, completing 27 laps with a best lap time of 7:56.296, leaving the rest of the field far behind.

Second place went to another Porsche (#4), finishing +1:26.737 behind, while the #48—also a 911 GT3 R—completed the podium with a gap of over two and a half minutes. The first non-Porsche to cross the line was the #34 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 EVO in fourth place overall, followed by the #44 Porsche.

A strong race as well for the #786 Lamborghini Huracán GT3 EVO II, which finished sixth, although trailing by more than seven minutes.

Max Verstappen P7 with 130 horsepower less on his debut GT4

The spotlight of the day was all on Max Verstappen, who competed in the #980 Porsche 718 GT4 in the Cup3 AM class. Although his crew didn’t finish among the overall top ten, they secured a P7 in class—a solid result considering the changing weather conditions and Verstappen’s debut race at the Nordschleife. It’s also worth noting his final position among a 27-car starting grid.

Additionally, Verstappen completed an outlap in another GT4 car—the #89 Porsche from the Lionspeed team—which, according to some sources, should qualify him for the Permit A. This is the required license to race in GT3 categories at the Nürburgring. A strategic move that could pave the way for him to compete in a Ferrari 296 GT3 or the Aston Martin Vantage GT3 with his team.

Variable Weather, Challenging Race at Nürburgring NLS

The race started on a dry track but turned wet around the second hour, a condition that truly tested both teams and drivers when it came to tyre strategy. Once again, Porsche proved to be both reliable and high-performing—especially on the fast, technical sections of the Ring. As expected, there was nothing ordinary about this race from a technical or weather standpoint on such a legendary circuit.

Looking ahead to tomorrow’s Race 8—what are the chances we’ll already see Verstappen behind the wheel of a GT3 car? Honestly, we wouldn’t rule it out.