Max Verstappen's maiden venture into GT3 racing will be far from a
straightforward affair when he tackles the ninth round of the
Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie this weekend. The four-time F1
champion, partnering 22-year-old Chris Lulham, finds himself
amongst a field of battle-hardened GT specialists who have spent
years mastering the art of endurance racing on the fearsome
Nordschleife. The NLS presents a unique challenge with its
sprawling 20 main classes, many subdivided into PRO, PRO-AM, and AM
categories based on FIA licence classifications. Verstappen and
Lulham, competing in the premier SP9 class for FIA-homologated GT3
machinery, automatically qualify for the PRO subclass courtesy of
Verstappen's platinum licence and Lulham's silver rating. The SP9
class represents the fastest cars in the field, housing the likes
of the Porsche 911 GT3 R, Audi R8 LMS, and Ferrari 296 GT3, the
latter driven by Verstappen and Lulham. With 11 teams entered
across all subcategories, and four specifically in the PRO
division, Verstappen and Lulham are not merely fighting for class
honours but overall victory. Proven winners in the field But which
drivers will prove to be Verstappen's main rivals? Let's primarily
focus on the remaining PRO participants. Their most formidable
opposition comes from established outfits with years of NLS
experience. Haupt Racing Team, a fixture in the series for half a
decade, fields two PRO entries alongside the single car from
Dinamic GT, which joined the fray in 2023. HRT's #6 entry pairs
Vincent Kolb with Frank Stippler, a combination that has already
tasted success this season. Following a third-place finish in round
six, some four minutes adrift of the winners, the duo struck gold
in round eight a fortnight ago, claiming overall victory just one
day after Verstappen earned his licence and made his NLS debut in a
detuned Porsche Caymen. Stippler brings considerable pedigree to
the contest. The 50-year-old German has conquered the Nürburgring
24 Hours on three occasions and added the 2012 Spa 24 Hours to his
trophy cabinet, establishing himself as one of endurance racing's
most accomplished performers on the Nordschleife. HRT's second PRO
entry presents an intriguing blend of experience and emerging
talent. Dennis Fetzer joins forces with Jann Mardenborough and
Fabio Scherer, creating a formidable three-driver lineup.
Mardenborough's journey from gamer to professional racer remains
one of motorsport's most compelling narratives. The Briton emerged
victorious from a field of 90,000 participants in the 2011 GT
Academy competition, earning a Nissan contract that launched a
14-year career. Notable achievements include runner-up finishes in
the 2014 Toyota Racing Series and 2016 Japanese Formula 3
championship. Scherer adds further depth to the HRT squad. The
Swiss driver progressed through the traditional junior formula
route via Formula 4 and Formula 3 before transitioning to GT
competition. Currently competing in the DTM, Scherer claimed LMP2
class victory at Le Mans in 2023, cementing his reputation as a
versatile performer across multiple disciplines. Can young guns
cause an upset? Dinamic GT's challenge rests with the youthful
pairing of Bastian Buus and Joel Sturm. At 22, the same age as
Lulham, Buus brings five years of GT racing experience to the
table. The Dane's crowning achievement came in 2023 when he secured
the Porsche Supercup championship. Sturm, 23, has carved out an
impressive CV over his five-year GT career. The German claimed
back-to-back Asian Le Mans Series GT titles in 2023 and 2024,
before adding the WEC LMGT3 championship to his collection last
year. The partnership demonstrated their Nordschleife credentials
with a third-place finish in this year's 24-hour race. Verstappen
and Lulham thus face a mix of experience and youth, all of whom
have earned their stripes in the world of GT racing. It means
victory at the ninth round of the NLS is by no means a foregone
conclusion for the four-time F1 champion and his protégé. The race
weekend commences with qualifying at 8:30am on Saturday, September
27, followed by the main event at 12:00pm.
straightforward affair when he tackles the ninth round of the
Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie this weekend. The four-time F1
champion, partnering 22-year-old Chris Lulham, finds himself
amongst a field of battle-hardened GT specialists who have spent
years mastering the art of endurance racing on the fearsome
Nordschleife. The NLS presents a unique challenge with its
sprawling 20 main classes, many subdivided into PRO, PRO-AM, and AM
categories based on FIA licence classifications. Verstappen and
Lulham, competing in the premier SP9 class for FIA-homologated GT3
machinery, automatically qualify for the PRO subclass courtesy of
Verstappen's platinum licence and Lulham's silver rating. The SP9
class represents the fastest cars in the field, housing the likes
of the Porsche 911 GT3 R, Audi R8 LMS, and Ferrari 296 GT3, the
latter driven by Verstappen and Lulham. With 11 teams entered
across all subcategories, and four specifically in the PRO
division, Verstappen and Lulham are not merely fighting for class
honours but overall victory. Proven winners in the field But which
drivers will prove to be Verstappen's main rivals? Let's primarily
focus on the remaining PRO participants. Their most formidable
opposition comes from established outfits with years of NLS
experience. Haupt Racing Team, a fixture in the series for half a
decade, fields two PRO entries alongside the single car from
Dinamic GT, which joined the fray in 2023. HRT's #6 entry pairs
Vincent Kolb with Frank Stippler, a combination that has already
tasted success this season. Following a third-place finish in round
six, some four minutes adrift of the winners, the duo struck gold
in round eight a fortnight ago, claiming overall victory just one
day after Verstappen earned his licence and made his NLS debut in a
detuned Porsche Caymen. Stippler brings considerable pedigree to
the contest. The 50-year-old German has conquered the Nürburgring
24 Hours on three occasions and added the 2012 Spa 24 Hours to his
trophy cabinet, establishing himself as one of endurance racing's
most accomplished performers on the Nordschleife. HRT's second PRO
entry presents an intriguing blend of experience and emerging
talent. Dennis Fetzer joins forces with Jann Mardenborough and
Fabio Scherer, creating a formidable three-driver lineup.
Mardenborough's journey from gamer to professional racer remains
one of motorsport's most compelling narratives. The Briton emerged
victorious from a field of 90,000 participants in the 2011 GT
Academy competition, earning a Nissan contract that launched a
14-year career. Notable achievements include runner-up finishes in
the 2014 Toyota Racing Series and 2016 Japanese Formula 3
championship. Scherer adds further depth to the HRT squad. The
Swiss driver progressed through the traditional junior formula
route via Formula 4 and Formula 3 before transitioning to GT
competition. Currently competing in the DTM, Scherer claimed LMP2
class victory at Le Mans in 2023, cementing his reputation as a
versatile performer across multiple disciplines. Can young guns
cause an upset? Dinamic GT's challenge rests with the youthful
pairing of Bastian Buus and Joel Sturm. At 22, the same age as
Lulham, Buus brings five years of GT racing experience to the
table. The Dane's crowning achievement came in 2023 when he secured
the Porsche Supercup championship. Sturm, 23, has carved out an
impressive CV over his five-year GT career. The German claimed
back-to-back Asian Le Mans Series GT titles in 2023 and 2024,
before adding the WEC LMGT3 championship to his collection last
year. The partnership demonstrated their Nordschleife credentials
with a third-place finish in this year's 24-hour race. Verstappen
and Lulham thus face a mix of experience and youth, all of whom
have earned their stripes in the world of GT racing. It means
victory at the ninth round of the NLS is by no means a foregone
conclusion for the four-time F1 champion and his protégé. The race
weekend commences with qualifying at 8:30am on Saturday, September
27, followed by the main event at 12:00pm.
The post The main rivals Max Verstappen faces on his GT3 racing debut appeared first on RacingNews365.