Verstappen hits back at drivers questioning Nurburgring record

Max Verstappen has hit back at fellow drivers who questioned his Nurburgring Nordschleife lap record, after claims surfaced that he benefited from favourable "Balance of Performance" (BoP) settings.

The Controversy

The reigning F1 champion set a blistering pace while testing a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the iconic German circuit. However, questions were raised by GT racing drivers, including DTM racer Maro Engel and WEC driver Laurens Vanthoor, on social media.

Engel suggested Verstappen was running with less weight, a lower ride height, and more power than allowed under official NLS (Nurburgring Endurance Series) race conditions. Verstappen refuted these claims, stating on Twitter: "False. Don't spread things when you don't know how the car was set up and our engine settings."

Verstappen's Response

Speaking at Imola, Verstappen admitted Engel's comment had "hurt" him, calling it an "unnecessary comment" and "totally pointless."

"I know him. So yeah, then I think, 'It's probably better not to say anything.' But I happened to come across it in my feed," Verstappen explained. "I have a lot of respect for everyone in the GT3 world, and then I think, 'This is just unnecessary.'"

The Details

David Perel, who was also present at the test, noted that Verstappen "had plenty of power and top speed." However, when questioned directly, Verstappen asserted that he used "exactly" the official NLS BoP settings. Emil Frey Racing, who fielded the car for Verstappen, confirmed that the car used "exactly" the prescribed BoP and had a significant amount of fuel on board (estimated 60-70kg).

What's Next

Verstappen, who has never raced on the Nordschleife but has completed thousands of simulator laps, expressed his desire to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours in the future. To do so, he needs a special permit, which usually requires completing NLS races in lower classes. It's possible he will enter upcoming NLS races to gain experience and potentially silence his critics under official race conditions. Red Bull team boss Christian Horner emphasized that Verstappen's F1 commitments remain the priority.