Max Verstappen embarks on a new racing adventure in mid-May: with his own Verstappen Racing, the Dutchman will participate for the first time in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. The four-time F1 champion has already made several – sometimes successful, sometimes not – excursions to the German circuit, but has never before started the notorious endurance race. Safety car driver Bernd Mayländer, who has won the 24-hour race once, provides Verstappen with advice.
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Mayländer celebrated his 500th appearance as a safety car driver in Formula 1 during the last Australian GP. Before that, the 54-year-old German made a name for himself in the DTM and the Porsche Carrera Cup. As a driver for Mercedes-Benz, he also participated in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring. Mayländer started seven times and managed to win once. Max Verstappen, who so far has only raced the 24-hour race on virtual asphalt, will make his debut in May. What advice does Mayländer have for the Dutchman?
‘Avoid risks
“I follow all his Nürburgring activities,” the German said in an interview with RN365. “It’s great that we have an F1 champion participating in the 24-hour race. That’s good for the sport, the fans, and the championship.” As mentioned, Mayländer has plenty of experience with this notorious event. “I tried to win that race seven times,” he recalled. “Twice I was very close, once I crashed while we were leading. It wasn’t until 2000 that everything fell into place and we actually won.”
What made the difference back then? “We had a perfect team and a perfect car in 2000, but during every briefing the message was the same: the drivers must cooperate with the team,” Mayländer explained. “Even if you know the car is good and has enough speed, always keep the finish flag in mind. Don’t take too many risks.” According to the veteran, Verstappen will also need a good dose of luck. “Also in terms of rules and Code 60 situations, things have to go your way,” he added. “Before you know it, you have a penalty on your hands.”
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‘Keep the car intact’
“The most important thing is to stay on the track,” Mayländer emphasized. “For me, the biggest challenge was navigating through traffic without forcing too much, especially on the inside. We have seen it often enough over the past thirty years: even the fastest cars don’t make it if they take too many risks. We had such a driver in 2000 as well,” he recalled. “We really had to keep him in check and say, ‘Hey, take it easy.’ Even if you start from pole position, you don’t necessarily have to be leading after the first corner. The race is incredibly long; maybe you’ll be at the front again in lap fifty. As long as you keep the car intact.”
Mayländer finally warned about the immense pressure. Verstappen already caused ‘Max Mania’ during previous outings to the Nürburgring, but during the 24-hour race that attention will only increase. “The spotlights will be on him,” the safety car driver noted. “He only increases the pressure by what he has already shown. Of course, he has already delivered fantastic performances, but a 24-hour race is really very long. There are so many fast GT specialists driving around. I won’t name names, but there are drivers who have been racing there their whole lives.” Mayländer can’t wait to follow the battle up close. “I hope to be there myself to see what happens,” he concluded. “It’s going to be fantastic.”
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