Max Verstappen’s long-awaited GT3 race debut at the Nürburgring Nordschleife delivered immediate fireworks. Driving the Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 (#31) alongside Chris Lulham in the NLS, the four-time F1 world champion combined wet-weather brilliance in qualifying with a blistering start to the four-hour race, quickly taking control and opening a commanding gap as he chased the GT3 lap record on the fearsome Green Hell.
Qualifying: fog delay, intermediate mastery, traffic heartbreak
Qualifying was pushed back 30 minutes due to fog, but Verstappen adapted instantly. On intermediate tyres, he stunned the field with an 8:46.694 on his first timed lap to seize provisional pole, then improved to an 8:37.818 as conditions evolved. The switch to slicks came late for the Ferrari, and timing proved tricky on the 25.3 km lap: heavy traffic on what should have been his decisive run cost him a shot at pole.
In the end, pole position went to the #34 Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin with an 8:06.057, leaving Verstappen three seconds shy and P3 on the grid. Unfazed, he noted that on inters the car felt “super,” and that with tyres in a good window, “everything should still be possible” in the race.
Race start: instant attack, 50-second cushion by Lap 11
Verstappen wasted no time once the lights went out. Diving for the lead at the start, he broke clear of the chasing pack and, by Lap 11, had built an advantage of around 50 seconds over the #6 Ford Mustang, driven by Nordschleife ace Frank Stippler. His relentless pace raised talk of an assault on the GT3 lap record for this configuration: a 7:49.578 set in 2022.
Stint strategy: triple-shift talk and the Lulham handover
The plan around mid-race was for Verstappen to complete a second stint and likely a third, before handing over to team-mate Chris Lulham for the final hour to bring the Ferrari home. With confidence in tyre behaviour and race balance, the crew focused on clean traffic management and avoiding incidents that can define any Nordschleife encounter.
The bigger picture: debut composed, pace emphatic
From fog and mixed grip in qualifying to metronomic race pace, Verstappen’s GT3 debut has been a showcase in adaptation and control. While traffic thwarted a headline pole lap, his wet-weather speed and early-race domination underlined both his comfort in multi-class traffic and the strength of the Emil Frey Ferrari 296 GT3 package.
As the laps ticked by, the narrative shifted from debut curiosity to outright performance: could he threaten that 7:49.578 marker while managing the risks of the world’s most demanding circuit? Either way, the combination of early aggression, strategic clarity and raw pace ensured this Green Hell debut lived up to the hype.
Key notes
- Car: Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 (#31)
- Team-mate: Chris Lulham
- Qualifying: P3 (traffic on slicks after wet-tyre heroics)
- Race: Lead seized at start; ~50s clear by Lap 11
- Benchmark: GT3 lap record on this layout stands at 7:49.578 (2022)
