Max Verstappen rival 'unsure how to handle' F1 champion's impact at Nurburgring

Haase after Race 2 victory at Nurburgring — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen at the Nurburgring

Max Verstappen rival 'unsure how to handle' F1 champion's impact at Nurburgring

The Nurburgring was one again graced by Max Verstappen battling with Christopher Haase

Dan Ripley Global Editor

Professional F1 journalist and analyst

Sunday 19 April 2026 18:55

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According to Christopher Haase, Max Verstappen’s appearance at the Nordschleife marked a major win for the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie.

The German veteran praised the four-time F1 champion’s visit and admitted to NLS that he never expected the huge influx of new followers.

Verstappen and Haase had already clashed fiercely during the NLS2 event in mid‐March. The Dutchman, alongside Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, initially secured a win before being disqualified for using an extra set of tyres over the course of the weekend.

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The duel between Verstappen and Haase was intense then, and it was no different this past Sunday. However, damage to Verstappen’s car eventually dashed his chances of victory.

Respectful battle with Verstappen

Reflecting on the March race, where he started from P2, Haase explained, “You always want to overtake the car in front of you. Of course, when you're behind a four-time world champion – probably the best driver on the grid – you know what you’re up against.”

He continued, “Once you’re in the heat of competition, you don’t think about those details. You drive for the team and for yourself, trying to perform at your best. I must say, though, it was incredibly fun. The racing was extremely respectful. You could tell during the warm-up that something special was happening. We both pushed our cars to the limit.”

Haase noticed a surge in followers

Haase also observed that Verstappen’s presence brought unexpected attention to his category. “After the race, I was really surprised to see my follower count double. I hadn’t anticipated anything like it. When I stepped out of the car, the team told me that the response had been overwhelmingly positive. It was quite an unusual situation for me at firs, I wasn’t sure how to handle it.

"In the end, I just stayed true to myself. And once again, thank you to everyone who gave me such supportive feedback.”

Haase praises perfect Verstappen

After battling with Verstappen early on, Haase took full advantage after the Dutchman's troubles to take victory in the NLS5 on Sunday.

"Today was a bit more difficult, I have to say," Haase told GPFans and others after the session . "I didn't feel very comfortable with the rear of the car. It went a bit better at the previous [race], so that is something we still need to work on."

The fast German then elaborated on his battle with Verstappen. "In terms of top speed, the AMG seemed to constantly have a slight advantage when it came to slipstreaming," he explained regarding the so-called side drafting.

"I have to say, Max always positioned himself as perfectly as possible. And it always depends on what kind of sideways slipstream you get from the other driver or how that slipstream ultimately develops. Unfortunately, I never got into a position where I could hold onto even a little bit of momentum. I never managed [to get past Verstappen]. He just did it well."

F1 Max Verstappen Nürburgring Nurburgring Nordschleife 24 Hours of Nurburgring