Exclusive: Verstappen keen to avoid 'superstar' status during Nordschleife endurance outings

Max Verstappen wants no part of the superstar treatment when he straps into a GT3 car at the Nürburgring. The four-time world champion says his outings at the legendary Nordschleife are about pure racing, not playing the Formula 1 celebrity.

Why it matters:

Verstappen's star power has already smashed attendance and viewing records at the Nürburgring 24 Hours, funneling millions of new fans into endurance racing. By insisting on staying grounded in an old-school paddock environment, he is signaling that his GT commitments are driven by genuine passion rather than PR, lending serious credibility to sportscar racing at a time when crossover appeal is invaluable.

The details:

• Verstappen made his GT racing debut at the Nordschleife last season before contesting the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May, where he drove a Mercedes-AMG GT3 for Winward Racing.
• Sharing the car with Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella and Lucas Auer, Verstappen looked poised for a maiden victory until a broken driveshaft triggered a three-hour garage stint for repairs.
• The Dutchman tackled his first competitive night stint during the race, calling the experience "fantastic" and praising the unique challenge of traffic management in multi-class conditions.
• He contrasted the accessible, close-to-the-action paddock atmosphere at the Nordschleife with the heavily restricted F1 environment, saying he prefers not to "act differently" just because of his grand prix pedigree.

What's next:

While Verstappen remains committed to Red Bull's F1 program, his enthusiasm for endurance racing suggests this is more than a one-off experiment. Having already proven his pace in GT machinery, the prospect of future Nürburgring 24 Hours entries—or even appearances at other endurance classics—remains very much alive, provided reliability issues don't steal another shot at glory.