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Helmut Marko watched Max Verstappen's NLS2 adventure at the Nurburgring Nordschleife last weekend and came away impressed. The former Red Bull advisor is in no doubt that the outing was a success, even with the disqualification at the end of it.
A Successful Dress Rehearsal
Verstappen will compete in the 24 Hours of the Nurburgring in May, and last weekend's race was part of his preparation. Alongside Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, he won the NLS2 race in their Mercedes-AMG GT3 before the team was disqualified hours later for using seven tyre sets instead of the permitted six. Marko was not too bothered by that outcome. Speaking to OE24, he said: "It was impressive to see how he worked his way through the field. Although his team was disqualified, this was essentially a practice run for the 24-hour race, and it was a very successful one."
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Is Verstappen Losing Interest in Formula 1?
The question of whether Verstappen's growing enthusiasm for endurance racing is pulling his attention away from Formula 1 has been a talking point in recent weeks. Marko brushed it off. "He enjoys it, it is similar to last year. He also wants to do the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 24 Hours of Spa at some point. He wants to race all the classics." There is no suggestion from Marko that Verstappen's commitment to Formula 1 has changed.
The Demo Run That Never Happened
Marko also revisited a story from a couple of years ago, when he blocked a plan for Verstappen to do a demonstration run in a Formula 1 car on the Nordschleife. He was amused to tell it again. "Yes, that was two years ago. The risk would simply have been too great. If Max is in that car, he knows exactly what the lap record is and he will want to break it." The concern was not without basis.
Could There Be More Nurburgring Races?
The cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix has left Verstappen free during two NLS race weekends in April. He indicated last weekend that he is open to entering additional races as part of his 24-hour preparation. No decision has been made yet, but the door is clearly open.
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