Toto Wolff has stated it was a “no-brainer” decision for the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) to change its race calendar to accommodate an entry for Max Verstappen.
Last month, the NLS confirmed that it had moved the second race of the season to March 21, bringing it forward by one week to avoid a clash with the Japanese Grand Prix.
This will allow Verstappen to partake in a preparation race ahead of the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.
Verstappen has long voiced his desire to drive in endurance competitions and last year won a four-hour race alongside team-mate Chris Lulham around the Nordschleife.
The added spotlight that was put on the series pushed Wolff, alongside AMG, to lobby for this year's change.
“It wasn't me personally, it was AMG together with the NLS organisers,” Wolff told media including RacingNews365.
“It's an obvious benefit for all the participants and for the series.”
Verstappen's entry at the Nordschleife last year drew incredible attention to the series, with the NLS live stream of the race currently tallying almost 350,000 views, while Sky Sports' coverage has over 175,000 views.
Wolff stated the call to rearrange the schedule was an easy decision for organisers to make when they realised the impact Verstappen's entry had last September.
“I don't know the figures I heard, I can't remember them, but between a normal NLS round, you have like 100 times more spectators on YouTube than with Max participating than otherwise,” Wolff said.
“It was like 10,000 to 750,000 or something crazy, you need to read it up.
“So it's a no-brainer to change it. It's great for the Nurburgring 24 Hours, for the fans to have Max there.
“And obviously him driving a Mercedes is something we enjoy!”
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