Max Verstappen silences critics: the true value of his Nürburgring victory. Frank Stippler, Nürburgring specialist and rival, defends Max Verstappen’s NLS 9 victory.

Frank Stippler, one of the top Nürburgring specialists, defends Max Verstappen against the skeptics and highlights the true significance of his performance.

Max Verstappen’s victory at the Nürburgring was no coincidence, according to Frank Stippler, one of the Dutch driver’s rivals and a true specialist of the Nordschleife. While it is true that most of the world’s best GT3 drivers were competing at Fuji for the World Endurance Championship, the lap times speak for themselves. Red Bull’s star, driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 for the occasion, finished his stint a full minute ahead of his closest competitors.

Some call it “expected,” while others are already excited at the thought of Verstappen potentially participating in next year’s 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Yet, there are still skeptics questioning his NLS 9 victory. Some argue that the Dutch driver was racing against “nobody,” while others claim he faced the only real professional team on the grid. In short, they suggest the triumph came against a field of amateurs or semi-professionals.

Frank Stippler, one of Max Verstappen’s rivals who finished third in a Ford Mustang GT3 and is a veteran of the Green Hell, steps in to defend him. The German driver, who won the previous weekend before Verstappen’s debut, is a specialist of the “old Nürburgring.” His résumé includes three wins in the infamous 24 Hours of Nürburgring, achieved in 2012, 2019, and 2024. His words are unequivocal: “Max is the best driver in the world.”

A victory never in doubt
“We are talking about the strongest driver in the world on track, everyone knows it,” begins Frank Stippler, as reported by speedcafe.com. “His victory does not surprise me at all. When you also consider a teammate of that caliber [Chris Lulham, GTWC champion], winning is the only possible outcome.”

What impressed Frank Stippler most, however, was the pace maintained by the four-time Formula 1 World Champion: “What I’m saying is that he is the best driver in the world. It makes me laugh when people question the validity of his lap times. If in Formula 1 it is obvious that other drivers are lacking something, why should it be different in GT3? That argument is simply absurd.”