Helmut Marko praises Max Verstappen’s professionalism in GT Nürburgring debut. Helmut Marko praises Max Verstappen’s professional approach to his GT debut at the Nürburgring.

Helmut Marko praises Verstappen’s professional approach for GT debut

This weekend, Max Verstappen is making his GT debut at the Nürburgring, and even before stepping on track, Helmut Marko has praised the Dutch champion’s approach to obtaining the required license. Marko highlighted Verstappen’s professionalism and fairness, noting that he didn’t seek any special treatment — qualities befitting a driver of his caliber.

Verstappen’s “free weekend” in the GT world

Max Verstappen qualified sixth in the CUP3 class at the Nürburgring, driving a detuned Porsche GT4 Cayman, ahead of the four-hour race scheduled for Saturday. Although his lap time was approximately 15.3 seconds slower than the class leader, he managed to put a significant 25-second gap between himself and the next car in the CUP3(G) category.

Marko’s praise, however, came before Max Verstappen even participated in official sessions. The Red Bull advisor emphasized the Dutch driver’s extremely correct and professional attitude in tackling this new category. After successfully completing the so-called “driving test” and theoretical exam on Friday, Max Verstappen was granted a category B license.

This license allowed him to take part in Saturday’s four-hour race, with a second race scheduled for Sunday, which could enable him to obtain a category A license. A committee could also grant the license if Verstappen impresses during the first race.

Marko’s comments and Schumacher’s opposition

Marko described the process as “terrible bureaucracy,” but praised Verstappen’s positive approach to the required steps: “Despite the terrible bureaucracy at the Nürburgring, he is extremely positive and follows all the procedures. He doesn’t seek special treatment for himself. That’s another thing that sets him apart.”

Ralf Schumacher, on the other hand, voiced his disagreement with the licensing process: “The so-called wild cards exist in other sports as well,” he said. “Max is currently the best Formula 1 driver in the world. Therefore, it’s safe to trust that he can handle the Nordschleife without a special driving school, especially considering he has already demonstrated this in previous tests, which the Nürburgring also wanted to promote.”