All to know about Verstappen’s Nurburgring GT race debut

The 65th ADAC ACAS Cup, round seven of the NLS series season, is about to attract a rare level of attention as reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is set to take part. Here’s everything you need to know about the Nurburgring’s endurance series and the Dutchman’s entry.

What’s the NLS?

NLS is short for Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie, and as the name suggests it is a long-running sportcars championship racing exclusively on the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife.

The 2025 season consists of 10 races over eight race weekends, two of which were qualifying races for June’s standalone Nurburgring 24 Hours.

This weekend features a double-header with round seven, the 65th ADAC ACAS Cup followed by round eight, the 64th ADAC Reinoldus-Langstreckenrennen. Like the majority of the NLS calendar, both races are run over four hours by two, three or four-driver teams.

Which car and class is Max Verstappen racing?

The NLS features a wide array of classes, ranging from top-of-the-line GT3 cars also seen at other major sportscar series to touring cars and production vehicles, many of them further divided into subcategories based on engine displacement.

Verstappen does not yet appear on the provisional entry list but is expected to race for the Lionspeed GP team, taking the wheel of its Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS in the SP7. He could dovetail stints in the #89 Cayman in SP7 class, with another stint aboard the #980 Cayman in Cup 3.

SP7, a GT4 dominated class for 3.5l to 4.0l engines, is the second class below the leading SP9 class for GT3 cars, so in theory Verstappen is competing for class wins rather than overall honours.

Both cars are also entered for Verstappen’s sim racing team-mate Chris Lulham, who this season competes with Verstappen.com Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, racing in an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo.

Lulham also races in the GTWC Sprint Cup for Emil Frey Racing – the same team for which Verstappen tested in May and with which he is expected to make his SP9 GT3 debut on 27 September.

Also sharing driving duties in both Caymans are Belgian GT driver Matisse Lismont and American IMSA regular Kyle Tilley. Both cars are only entered for Saturday’s race. However, should one or both cars fail to finish, a Sunday entry could be considered to secure the second classified finish Verstappen needs.

What is Max Verstappen’s NLS objective, and can he win on his debut?

Taking to the Nordschleife track under the pseudonym Franz Hermann back in May, Verstappen caused a stir when he was believed to have set an unofficial GT3 lap record during a test, causing a fierce debate over the exact specification of his car.

But this weekend chasing lap records or even class wins is out of the question, because Verstappen is lacking the so-called Permit A, without which his car must be artificially restricted.

In standard trim, the Porsche Cayman GT4 produces 425hp at a weight of 1,315kg, giving a power-to-weight ratio of 3.1kg per hp. That is well below the minimum 4.2kg per hp limit that a first-time Nordschleife participant is allowed to handle. As a result the Cayman has to be detuned, whether the driver in question is a four-time world champion or not.

In the so-called “Permit B spec” the car produces just over 300hp at 1,350kg. That leaves Verstappen without a realistic shot at winning his class, let alone targeting lap records.

Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing

Photo by: Pirelli

The reason for the restriction is the DMSB Permit Nordschleife (DPN), often referred to as the “Nordschleife licence”. It comes in two stages, with only the higher-level Permit A allowing drivers to compete in cars with a power-to-weight ratio below 4.2kg/hp.

To obtain the permit, Verstappen must collect two classified race results – which can be achieved within a single race by competing in two different cars, and that’s why Verstappen is expected to take turns in both Lionspeed’s Caymans. In order for his contribution to qualify, he must complete 14 laps and cover at least 20% of the race distance in each car.

In a typical four-hour race, the Caymans manage 25 to 26 laps, meaning Verstappen could tick off all requirements with two stints of seven laps each.

The idea behind the permit system is to ensure that every driver experiences the race from the perspective of a slower car before moving up to faster machinery, promoting more respect on track.

Introduced in 2015, the system remains controversial. Critics dismiss it as an unnecessary hurdle and a “cash cow” for the organisers. MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi has openly refused to race on the Nordschleife because of it. But supporters, including the drivers’ working group at the Nurburgring, argue that the Nordschleife licence has significantly improved race flow.

The goal for Verstappen is to be eventually allowed to compete in the top class GT3 machinery including with his own team.

Where to watch Max Verstappen race in the NLS series?

All rounds of the NLS series, including Saturday’s 65th ADAC ACAS Cup and the next round on Sunday, are available to watch for free on Motorsport.tv.

On both days the Motorsport.TV livestream starts at 8:15 local CEST time for qualifying, with the race broadcast kicking off at 11:15 local ahead of the race start at 12:00pm.