Verstappen finding joy in his Nürburgring side quest
Max Verstappen hasn't been very happy in F1 this year, but his Nürburgring 24 Hours side quest is reinvigorating the four-time world champion.
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During the opening lap of last month's NLS2 race at the Nürburgring, Max Verstappen knew he had a race on his hands. A light blue Audi R8 was filling his rearview mirrors, its yellow-tinted headlights a constant reminder that the four-time Formula 1 world champion would not have it easy on this -- or any -- lap while pursuing his self-assigned side quest of preparing for this year's Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Behind the wheel of the Audi was Christopher Haase, a veteran GT racer with more than 15 years of Nürburgring experience, who was relishing the opportunity to race wheel-to-wheel with one of the greatest drivers on the planet.
Haase had qualified 1.974 seconds off Verstappen's pole-position lap earlier the same morning, but as the two cars launched onto the 1.3-mile long Döttinger Höhe straight, it was the more streamlined Audi that got the better exit from the previous corner and slipped past Verstappen's Mercedes-AMG GT3 to take the lead.
What unfolded over the next six laps was a visual representation of why F1's preeminent talent has chosen to spend so many of his free weekends at the Nürburgring lately.
Verstappen's Mercedes remained glued to the tail of Haase's Audi for the vast majority of the first stint -- coming within centimeters at times as he tried to find an opportunity to retake the position.