Nurburgring Chris Lulham and Max Verstappen Ferrari leads at the Nurburgring
FIA GT3 Hot News

GT3 News: Verstappen gave the GT3 regulars a schooling at the Nordschleife they won’t soon forget

Posted by AR1 staff

4-Time World Driving Champion Max Verstappen delivered an unforgettable performance at the Nürburgring, dominating the 57th ADAC Barbarossa Prize on Saturday in his GT3 racing debut.

–by Mark Cipolloni–

Driving the No. 31 Ferrari 296 GT3 for Emil Frey Racing alongside Chris Lulham, the four-time Formula 1 champion obliterated the competition, securing a commanding victory over the second-place Haupt Racing Team Ford Mustang GT3.

Nurburgring winners Chris Lulham and Max Verstappen

Starting third, Verstappen seized the lead with a daring move at Turn One, outbraking the pole-sitting Aston Martin as chaos unfolded behind. From there, he unleashed a relentless pace on the treacherous 12.9-mile Nordschleife, known as the Green Hell. By his seventh lap, he had built a staggering 23.045-second lead—an almost unheard-of margin in the fiercely competitive GT3 category. By the halfway mark, his advantage ballooned to over a minute, leaving Nürburgring veterans and observers in awe.

Race commentator Bruce Jones captured the moment: “We now have a 20-second margin just one hour into the race. This is really unusual in this series. That’s how far clear Max Verstappen is in his Emil Frey Racing Ferrari.”

Verstappen’s flawless double stint, consistently lapping faster than the field while mastering the circuit’s challenges, set the stage for Lulham to maintain the lead after the handover.

This historic win marked Verstappen as the first debutant to triumph at the Nürburgring since 1977, drawing comparisons to motorsport legend Jim Clark’s versatile 1965 season, which included an F1 title and Indianapolis 500 victory. Jones remarked during the broadcast, “Verstappen’s performance reminds me of Jim Clark’s remarkable run, excelling across different racing disciplines.”

Everyone wanted to get a glimpse of Max Verstappen

Fresh off his latest Formula 1 win in Azerbaijan, Verstappen’s seamless transition to GT3 racing showcased his extraordinary versatility. Ferrari, despite Verstappen’s Red Bull affiliation, praised his performance, noting that he earned his GT3 license in a detuned Porsche Cayman before smashing lap records in their Ferrari 296 GT3 during a secret test earlier this year.

Verstappen’s dominant display has fueled excitement for his planned participation in the 2026 24 Hours of Nürburgring. A victory there would place him alongside Niki Lauda as one of the few Formula 1 champions to conquer the iconic endurance race, further solidifying his legacy as one of motorsport’s all-time greats.