Max Verstappen won the NLS race on the Nordschleife at the end of September with teammate Chris Lulham. He was praised by many, but it was also noted that the field of participants was not particularly strong. For example, there were no large factory teams with associated factory drivers, something that Verstappen himself generously acknowledged in the end-of-year interview with Viaplay.
“That victory was really great, I really enjoyed it too. But of course it wasn’t the best competition,” said Verstappen, who immediately put an end to the suggestion that he would lose out against the big guns from the GT world.
“I bet if everyone had been there I would have tackled them all too.” Maybe people were saying things like that because they felt offended by a rookie shaking up the ranks?
“Yes, yes, but let them all come. Of course I knew that the BOP (Balance of Performance, ed.) of that Ferrari was good, but they can all come and try it with their BMWs and Porsches.”
What Verstappen has also left behind on the Norschleife is a slight relaxation of the permit rules. Obtaining a driver’s license for the dangerous course can now partly be completed through extensive simulator work. Gain enough job knowledge in the sim and you are one step closer to that coveted piece of paper than before.
As an ambassador of sim racing, he thinks it’s great that Verstappen has achieved this change: “I really like that. And of course there are always whiners about the fact that you can obtain that part of your license in the sim, but I think that’s just great.”
