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.
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on the Italian Grand Prix! Max Verstappen's dominant win is a lead discussion, as is whether McLaren has set a precedent with its controversial team orders.
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