Max Verstappen's maiden venture into GT3 racing will be far from a straightforward affair when he tackles the ninth round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie this weekend.
The four-time F1 champion, partnering 22-year-old Chris Lulham, finds himself amongst a field of battle-hardened GT specialists who have spent years mastering the art of endurance racing on the fearsome Nordschleife.
The NLS presents a unique challenge with its sprawling 20 main classes, many subdivided into PRO, PRO-AM, and AM categories based on FIA licence classifications.
Verstappen and Lulham, competing in the premier SP9 class for FIA-homologated GT3 machinery, automatically qualify for the PRO subclass courtesy of Verstappen's platinum licence and Lulham's silver rating.
The SP9 class represents the fastest cars in the field, housing the likes of the Porsche 911 GT3 R, Audi R8 LMS, and Ferrari 296 GT3, the latter driven by Verstappen and Lulham.
With 11 teams entered across all subcategories, and four specifically in the PRO division, Verstappen and Lulham are not merely fighting for class honours but overall victory.
Proven winners in the field
But which drivers will prove to be Verstappen's main rivals? Let's primarily focus on the remaining PRO participants.
Their most formidable opposition comes from established outfits with years of NLS experience. Haupt Racing Team, a fixture in the series for half a decade, fields two PRO entries alongside the single car from Dinamic GT, which joined the fray in 2023.
HRT's #6 entry pairs Vincent Kolb with Frank Stippler, a combination that has already tasted success this season. Following a third-place finish in round six, some four minutes adrift of the winners, the duo struck gold in round eight a fortnight ago, claiming overall victory just one day after Verstappen earned his licence and made his NLS debut in a detuned Porsche Caymen.
Stippler brings considerable pedigree to the contest. The 50-year-old German has conquered the Nürburgring 24 Hours on three occasions and added the 2012 Spa 24 Hours to his trophy cabinet, establishing himself as one of endurance racing's most accomplished performers on the Nordschleife.
HRT's second PRO entry presents an intriguing blend of experience and emerging talent. Dennis Fetzer joins forces with Jann Mardenborough and Fabio Scherer, creating a formidable three-driver lineup.
Mardenborough's journey from gamer to professional racer remains one of motorsport's most compelling narratives. The Briton emerged victorious from a field of 90,000 participants in the 2011 GT Academy competition, earning a Nissan contract that launched a 14-year career.
Notable achievements include runner-up finishes in the 2014 Toyota Racing Series and 2016 Japanese Formula 3 championship.
Scherer adds further depth to the HRT squad. The Swiss driver progressed through the traditional junior formula route via Formula 4 and Formula 3 before transitioning to GT competition. Currently competing in the DTM, Scherer claimed LMP2 class victory at Le Mans in 2023, cementing his reputation as a versatile performer across multiple disciplines.
Can young guns cause an upset?
Dinamic GT's challenge rests with the youthful pairing of Bastian Buus and Joel Sturm. At 22, the same age as Lulham, Buus brings five years of GT racing experience to the table. The Dane's crowning achievement came in 2023 when he secured the Porsche Supercup championship.
Sturm, 23, has carved out an impressive CV over his five-year GT career. The German claimed back-to-back Asian Le Mans Series GT titles in 2023 and 2024, before adding the WEC LMGT3 championship to his collection last year. The partnership demonstrated their Nordschleife credentials with a third-place finish in this year's 24-hour race.
Verstappen and Lulham thus face a mix of experience and youth, all of whom have earned their stripes in the world of GT racing. It means victory at the ninth round of the NLS is by no means a foregone conclusion for the four-time F1 champion and his protégé.
The race weekend commences with qualifying at 8:30am on Saturday, September 27, followed by the main event at 12:00pm.
Also interesting:
Join RacingNews365's Ian Parkes, Sam Coop and Nick Golding, as they look back on the Azerbaijan Grand Prix! Oscar Piastri's shock Baku crashes are a major talking point, as is whether Max Verstappen has drawn himself back into the F1 title fight.
Rather watch the podcast? Then click here!
Most read
In this article
Join the conversation!