Red Bull Nurburgring ban confirmed for F1 champion Max Verstappen - 'Too dangerous'

Credit for photo: Mercedes-Benz AG x GPFANS — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen Red Bull Nurburgring ban confirmed - 'Too dangerous'

Max Verstappen recently won at the Nurburgring

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Sunday 22 March 2026 08:28

Four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen may have triumphed at the Nurburgring in the past, but he is banned from one type of racing at the iconic circuit.

On Saturday, Verstappen took part in the NLS2 round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), achieving his second career victory in GT3 machinery with Mercedes-AMG, but he and team-mates Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon were cruelly stripped of their win after breaching tyre regulations.

Even though Verstappen initially appeared to have immensely enjoyed his time racing around the Green Hell, there is one racing feat he is banned from achieving around the Nurburgring, and that is bringing Red Bull F1 machinery to the German track for a demo run.

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While the likes of Sebastian Vettel have completed demonstration runs in an F1 car, Verstappen recently revealed that his request to do so had been rejected.

The Dutchman has also made the request before, with former Red Bull chief Helmut Marko claiming Verstappen had asked him about a demo lap in the past.

Verstappen banned from Red Bull F1 demo at Nurburgring

Speaking to F1 insider, Marko revealed: "Max was raving to me about the Nordschleife years ago.

"He wanted to do a demonstration run in a Red Bull Formula 1 car back then. But that set off all sorts of alarm bells for me."

Marko was also doubtful that Verstappen intended to simply leave it at a harmless display, adding: “So much for a demo run! Max had seen that crazy video of Timo Bernhard breaking the lap record in a Le Mans Porsche. I reckon he wanted to top that with the Red Bull.”

For Marko, the risk was not worth the reward, with the Austrian confirming that he moved to ban Verstappen from bringing F1 machinery to the Green Hell.

"That was too dangerous for me. That’s why I put a stop to it and banned it," he added.

"Luckily, he can now let off steam in the Mercedes GT3 on the Nordschleife. But I fear he still has Timo Bernhard’s lap record in the back of his mind. He’s just an old-school racer."

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Nürburgring