Max Verstappen victory sparks racing series rule change

F1 champion Max Verstappen’s impressive Nurburgring win on his GT3 debut has paved the way for wider changes in the Nurburgring Langstrecken‑Serie (NLS).

Alongside team-mate Chris Lulham, Verstappen stormed to a dominant victory over the four-hour race at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, with the Dutchman gaining experience prior to the event via sim racing.

This transference of digital skills to real world racing has prompted the Deutscher Motorsport‑Bund (DMSB) - Germany’s governing body for motor racing - to formally recognise sim racing credentials, and they have updated the rules.

Drivers seeking a DPN B permit for the Nordschleife can now have three options to choose from. They can either complete the standard physical course, finish two RCN races solo or with a driver change, or combine one real race with three penalty-free Digital NLS winter rounds.

Sim racing now recognised for Nordschleife permit

Sporting director Christian Vormann reflected on the change to Motorsport.com, and said: “Since the launch of the DNLS in 2020, we have known that sim racing is far more than casual entertainment. It reproduces reality in a highly accurate way.

"Verstappen's participation showed how crucial virtual preparation can be, especially on the demanding Nordschleife. His secret is sim racing.

"Verstappen has completed countless laps on iRacing in the Green Hell, including DNLS events. It was no surprise that he immediately felt comfortable."

In order to secure his DMSB Nordschleife Permit Grade A, Verstappen had to complete 14 laps of the Nurburgring Nordschleife, alongside being classified behind the wheel of two different cars.

However, one of his Lionspeed GP entries was unable to make a start due to damage in qualifying, yet Verstappen was granted the permit by a committee anyway with the process slammed as ‘embarrassing’ by Ralf Schumacher.

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