Max Verstappen ventures into unfamiliar territory this weekend when the four-time F1 champion makes his GT3 debut around the demanding Nordschleife.
Having recently secured his A licence at the German circuit, Verstappen is targeting victory on his first outing in the discipline. The Dutchman will share a Ferrari 296 GT3 with team-mate Chris Lulham, with Emil Frey Racing operating the Verstappen.com Racing entry.
Weather conditions, however, promise to add complexity to the weekend for Verstappen, and all the other competitors.
Saturday morning's qualifying, commencing at 8:30 AM, will see temperatures hovering between eight and nine degrees Celsius, with persistent drizzle threatening to develop into proper rainfall.
Conditions should improve marginally by the 12:00 race start, with temperatures rising to approximately 12 degrees and clearer skies anticipated. Sunshine may break through later, providing a modest temperature increase, though the rain threat remains constant throughout the day.
The challenging weather will severely test Verstappen around the demanding 20.8km circuit for the first time in competition.
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