F1 star claims Max Verstappen should be banned from the Nurburgring

Max Verstappen

F1 star claims Max Verstappen should be banned from the Nurburgring

Max Verstappen will take on the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Saturday 25 April 2026 17:57

An F1 star has instructed Red Bull to rethink allowing Max Verstappen's GT appearances at the Nurburgring.

Verstappen made his third appearance at the Nurburgring last weekend, taking on the 24h Qualifiers which included the NLS4 and NLS5 rounds.

However, tragedy struck during Saturday's NLS4 race when Juha Miettinen lost his life in a severe crash on the German circuit, bringing to light the inherent dangers of the Nordschleife.

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According to former F1 driver Juan Pablo Montoya, he believes it should serve as a clear wake-up call for Red Bull to reconsider allowing Verstappen to race there.

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Montoya argues that the track is simply too dangerous and that the team is now bowing to the four-time world champion out of fear of losing him.

In his MontoyAS podcast, he explained his perspective. "I feel that, given the current situation, Red Bull won’t stop him from taking these risks, they’re simply afraid of losing him.

"From the team’s point of view, an accident could result in a broken leg, a broken arm, or even something worse."

Montoya also pointed out that Red Bull can hardly afford for Verstappen to be injured, and continued: "The investment they’ve made in him should be enough reason to say, ‘We gave you this opportunity, but considering these risks, this isn’t something we can allow to continue.’"

He was quick to clarify that his intention isn’t to take the fun out of racing for Verstappen. Montoya recalled that during his own career, he was often invited to test rally cars and participate in various events, but those opportunities were rarely allowed to flourish.

Verstappen will return to the Nurburgring from May, 14-17 for the iconic 24 hours endurance race.

Max Verstappen Nürburgring Nurburgring Nordschleife