Max Verstappen to Race Outside F1 as Shock Move Confirmed
Max Verstappen is set to race outside of Formula 1 in a shock move from the four-time world champion.
The Red Bull star enjoyed a dominant weekend at the Italian Grand Prix, winning by nearly 20 seconds ahead of Lando Norris.
It was Verstappen's first victory since the Emilia Romagna GP in May, strengthening his grip on third place in the Drivers' Standings. He now sits 36 points clear of rival George Russell, although world championship leader Oscar Piastri still holds a 96-point advantage over the Dutchman.
Despite the demands of a gruelling Formula 1 calendar, Verstappen has not been put off committing to more motor racing.
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He is now set to race at this weekend's Nürburgring Nordschleife in the Nürburgring Endurance Series, according to auto motor und sport.
He will have to complete a mandatory driver training course on 12 September, which will consistent of both a theory section and a practical section.
Although he previously set an unofficial lap record around Nordschleife with a Ferrari 296 GT3, regulations mean he will be forced to race with a "smaller," less powerful car. The Dutchman is also planning to take part in the Ferrari Nordschleife race at the end of September.
To do so, he needs to obtain the required Nordschleife license. As a professional racing driver, Verstappen is in the "platinum" driver category, which allows him to obtain the license by racing in a GT3 just once.
It mandates that he starts in two different cars on Saturday and complete 14 laps in total without receiving a penalty.
If everything goes to plan, Verstappen will then race a Ferrari 296 GT3 with the Emil Frey Racing team on 27 September.
When he unofficially broke the Nordschleife lap record, Verstappen competed under the fake name Franz Hermann.
The pseudonym was suggested to him by Emil Frey Racing, who were concerned about large crowds potentially gathering. However, this time if Verstappen competes at Nordschleife, he will have to race under his official name.
Although he plans to compete in a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the end of September, commitments may still arise.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix takes place the weekend before, wile the Singapore GP follows directly after.
With just eight races left in the season, Verstappen may ultimately decide to concentrate on his Red Bull team.
They currently trail Mercedes by 21 points in the Constructors' Championship, so the gap is not insurmountable.
Topics: Max Verstappen, Formula 1, Ferrari, Red Bull Racing
James Taylor