NLS·21 March
Verstappen's NLS debut ends in disqualification despite dominant performance
Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen made his debut in the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie at the 58th ADAC Barbarossa Prize, piloting a Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon. The trio crossed the line first after four hours of racing, with Verstappen having set pole position that morning with a lap time of 7:51.751 minutes around the Grand Prix circuit and Nordschleife. Around 25,000 spectators attended the event to witness the historic moment. However, the victory was short-lived. During post-race technical scrutineering approximately two hours after the podium ceremony, officials discovered that the team had used seven sets of tyres instead of the permitted six. The stewards issued a disqualification, handing the win to Jordan Pepper and Dan Harper in the BMW M4 GT3 from ROWE RACING, who had started seventh on the grid and worked their way forward through strategic pit work. Despite the disqualification, Verstappen's qualifying performance remained impressive. He secured pole ahead of Christopher Haase in the Scherer Sport PHX Audi (7:53.725 mins) and the eventual-winning ROWE RACING BMW. The race itself proved competitive from the start, with Haase pressuring Verstappen into the first lap before taking the lead. Pepper acknowledged the significance of Verstappen's participation: "Having Max competing here is great for the sport. He's an absolute professional who pushes us all. The attention he brings to the Nordschleife is a win for us all." Falken Motorsport secured third place in the GT3 class with their Porsche 911 GT3 R, while 48 LOSCH Motorsport by BLACK FALCON inherited the final podium spot and won the PRO-AM classification. In the CUP3 class, Smyrlis Racing dominated a record-breaking field of 17 Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS entries, with Oskar Sandberg and Alexander Fielenbach taking victory and Sandberg named Driver of the Race. PROsport racing GmbH won the SP10 GT4 class with their Mercedes-AMG GT4, while SRS Team Sorg Rennsport triumphed in VT2-RWD with a Toyota Supra driven by Piet-Jan Ooms, Ionuc Catalin Timis and Thomas Fleming. Verstappen expressed enthusiasm for future appearances at the circuit: "For me, the Nordschleife is one of the craziest tracks in the world. I definitely want to drive here as often as possible." The third round of the NLS takes place on 11 April with the 57th Adenauer ADAC Circuit Trophy over the classic four-hour distance.