13/09/2025 13:30
Max Verstappen not being granted an exemption to race at the
Nurburgring Nordschleife is a good thing, according to former F1
driver Timo Glock. The German defended the decision not to give the
four-time F1 drivers' champion special treatment after the likes of
Ralf Schumacher and Helmut Marko argued it was not necessary for
the Red Bull driver to follow the usual process at the circuit
known as 'the green hell' . Verstappen, who has been more than
happy to comply with the rules, is in the process of taking the
required steps to obtain his Category A licence for the famed
track, something that will allow him to race in the 24 Hours of
Nurburgring in the future. Despite his stance, Glock - who raced in
F1 for Jordan, Toyota and Virgin/Marussia - shared his admiration
for the Dutchman. "A few gentlemen could learn a thing or two from
him, seeing how much energy and love he puts into the sport," the
43-year-old told Motorsport-Magazin. "I admire that." Explaining
his rationale for his opinion on Verstappen satisfying all the
necessary criteria at the Nordschleife, he added: "Once you start
making exceptions, they're all there. "The fact is: the
Nordschleife is different, and the races are different too. I think
it's good that they're taking the hard route and saying that the
same applies to everyone. "I asked myself this question when I got
my permit. Afterwards, I realised it made sense. If I hadn't done
it myself, I might have seen it differently." The licence requires
drivers to show an understanding of multi-class racing, which often
has significantly different levels of performance, something
Verstappen has seldom encountered outside of sim racing. "You see
both sides, which is an advantage," Glock said. "The drivers in the
smaller classes also race and push their cars to the limit just as
much. After that, I really understood it." Verstappen qualified P27
for the Saturday race at the Nordschleife, which is currently
underway and can be followed HERE . If he impresses, a panel may
grant him a Category A licence early, permitting him to step up to
GT3 machinery, which will allow him to compete in his Ferrari 296
GT3.
