Max Verstappen faces quite a bit of competition during the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Rowe Racing is also back in the race, the team that claimed the overall victory last year with the BMW M4 GT3. One of the title defenders is the Swiss-Italian Raffaele Marciello. Ahead of Verstappen’s 24-hour debut, he responds to FORMULE1.nl about the hype surrounding the four-time world champion and what his participation means for GT3 racing.
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“I think very highly of Verstappen,” said Marciello (in the photo with the white cap). “It’s great to have him here; he is a four-time world champion in Formula 1 and, if you ask me, he races at the level of someone like Ayrton Senna. But here at the Nürburgring, he is just a competitor. We have to beat him, just like we have to beat all the other one hundred and sixty teams,” he said matter-of-factly. Marciello also realizes that the field is bursting at the seams this year, partly due to Verstappen’s arrival. Last year, there were still ‘only’ 141 teams at the start.
“I think it’s great that he puts so much effort into this race and of course it’s good that he brings so much media attention with him,” he continued. “But as a team, we don’t give him any special treatment; for us, he is just one of the drivers.” On the track, the title defenders will treat Verstappen like any other. “I will just have to fight with him,” Marciello laughed. At the same time, he emphasized that GT3 drivers get a unique opportunity to show their own qualities thanks to Verstappen’s participation. “We can show that we can drive at the same level as an F1 driver in these cars,” he explained. “Many people think that the Formula 1 grid represents the absolute top, but I believe there are also great drivers in GT3. I am grateful to him for giving us the chance to prove that.”
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‘Race is bigger than the driver’
According to Marciello, Verstappen also takes a risk with his participation. “I don’t expect it, but imagine if he suddenly performs less well,” he said laughing. “Then people will immediately say: ‘Oh, he can only drive Formula 1.’ So yes, I admire what he does.” Despite all the extra attention for the enduranc classic, Marciello wanted to somewhat put the ‘Max Mania’ around the circuit into perspective. “The Nürburgring has always been a madhouse,” he explained. “Of course, there are now a few more Dutch fans, but for me it’s a bit like Le Mans or Spa: the race is bigger than the driver.”
Nevertheless, the driver hopes that Verstappen will put GT3 races in the spotlight more often in the future. “I don’t know if he wants to race more later – think for example of the GT World Challenge – but it’s clear that he is putting the GT3 class firmly in the spotlight.” Finally: what does Marciello see as the biggest challenges for Verstappen this weekend? “That he has to share the car; that’s not always easy to accept. And of course, it’s an incredibly long race, where you constantly have to deal with traffic. During the 24 Hours of Spa, you can maybe always give 110 percent, but here, with all those different racing classes, you have to manage your energy smartly. But well, he is a four-time world champion, so he undoubtedly knows what it takes to win,” he concluded with a grin.
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