Verstappen’s N24 Participation Will “Depend On a lot of Things”

Verstappen dot com Racing

Max Verstappen says his participation in next year’s Nürburgring 24 will “depend on a lot of things” including a potential change of GT3 manufacturer for his Verstappen dot com team.

The four-time Formula 1 world champion, who claimed victory in his GT3 race debut in last weekend’s NLS round on the Nordschleife at the wheel of an Emil Frey Racing-run Ferrari 296 GT3 alongside co-driver Chris Lulham, has ruled out any further sports car outings this year amid a busy stretch for the Dutchman.

“I’m taking a bit of a break,” he told reporters ahead of this weekend’s F1 Singapore Grand Prix. “After this weekend I’ve done six weekends in a row.

“[Last weekend] was a lot of fun. We’ve been preparing for that, of course, for a while. It was two very nice days, racing a bit in the wet and dry and just getting more experience was nice.

“Of course to win it, that’s an extra bonus.

“Does it make me a better driver? I’ve been doing this for so many years on the simulator, so for me doing it in real life is not very different. But it definitely doesn’t hurt. I think I can say that.”

When asked about his prospects of contesting next year’s N24, which does not conflict with a F1 race, Verstappen fell short of committing to the twice-around-the-clock German endurance classic due to a number of factors.

“It depends on a lot of things, to be honest,” he said. “It depends on F1, first of all. I’m suspecting with the [new] rules next year it’s going to be very complicated to start with and some unknowns.

“It probably will be a little bit more hectic than the end of a regulation where things are a bit more straightforward.

“Plus also the program of the GT3 team, which car we’re going to race next year and stuff like that… There are a lot of things that still have to come together before it can really be planned well in advance just for my drivers in the team, plus myself.

“For sure we want to be back there. I just don’t know, at the moment myself, how much or how many races I can do next year.

“But if there’s an opportunity and I feel good about it, plus whatever is happening in F1, then for sure.”

Verstappen’s GT3 outfit is currently split between two brands and operating partners.

Emil Frey ran this year’s GT World Challenge Europe powered by AWS Sprint Cup races with a Ferrari, while Lulham and Thierry Vermeulen have been joined by Harry King in an Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo, operated by 2 Seas Motorsport, for the Endurance Cup rounds.

Additionally, Vermeulen competes in DTM with a Verstappen dot com-backed Ferrari run by Emil Frey.

Red Bull Oracle Racing, meanwhile, will debut its new technical partnership with Ford in F1 next year, spurring rumors that Verstappen’s team could switch to a Mustang GT3 in the GT ranks.

“It depends on what happens in F1 and what manufacturer we are racing with in the GT3 team as well,” added Verstappen.

Verstappen Can Still “Catch Up” on Competing in Endurance Races Later in Life

While admitting the current F1 schedule does prevent drivers from competing in a number of other key races in the world, the 28-year-old admitted that he won’t be in F1 “forever” and will be able to “catch up” on other events later in life.

In addition to the N24, Verstappen has previously outlined ambitions of contesting the 24 Hours of Le Mans as well as the Rolex 24 at Daytona.

“F1, of course, is still my main goal,” he said. “It’s a lot of races but that’s what I signed up for. For me, that’s not something that I’m upset about or disappointed with.

“I also know it’s not going to be forever doing this. It’s also just making sure that everything is well run with the GT3 team and that they are up and running.

“Then for me it’s quite easy to, if I want to, jump in and participate.

“I think we all know 24 races is a lot, for sure. Sometimes you miss out on some other great races but at the same time, I’m still very young so I can still catch up on those kind of races later on.”

John Dagys

John Dagys is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of Sportscar365. Dagys spent eight years as a motorsports correspondent for FOXSports.com and SPEED Channel and has contributed to numerous other motorsports publications worldwide. Contact John