Max Verstappen is drawn to GT3 racing because it offers him a chance to make a difference in a level-playing field, according to the category’s architect Stephane Ratel.
While Formula 1 drivers have largely stopped competing regularly outside grand prix weekends in recent decades, aside from an occasional appearance in the Race of Champions, Verstappen has bucked the trend by exploring a wide range of machinery.
After testing waters at the Nordschleife last year, he is undertaking a bigger programme in 2026 that will include a debut in the legendary Nurburgring 24 Hours later this month.
The Dutchman’s growing attraction to GT3 racing coincides with his increasing disillusionment with F1, and in particular the 2026 regulations that have prompted him to openly reconsider his future in the series.
Red Bull has also failed to break into the podium places so far this year, although Verstappen has insisted on several occasions that any decision about whether to remain in F1 will not depend on competitiveness alone.
While F1’s technical regulations often create prolonged periods of dominance, with Verstappen himself going unbeaten from 2021-24, GT3 racing relies on a system of ‘Balance of Performance’ that equalises cars and reduces external variables.
Ratel believes this emphasis on parity places the onus on drivers and is precisely what appeals to elite racers like Verstappen.
“I would say that Formula 1 is first and foremost the world drivers’ championship,” Ratel told Autosport.
“But we all know the importance of the car and the importance of the engineers. You can be the best driver in the world, but if you are not in the car of the year, you’re going to have a hard time. Ayrton Senna had a hard time with McLaren when Williams came with the active suspensions.
“You can be the best driver in the world. But if for one season you are not in the best car, you’re going to have a hard time because Formula 1 is most and foremost an engineering exercise.
“With GT racing, we have achieved perfection in all of this world. Nobody can say that anything is perfect, but over the years, we have developed an extremely accurate Balance of Performance. And it’s a category where really drivers do make the difference. It’s about the drivers because the cars themselves are very much balanced, and that’s an arena where drivers can make a difference.
“It’s why the drivers at heart, like Max, like Valentino [Rossi], who are competitors to the very, very DNA, appreciate a category where they are sure they can make a difference. And it’s what has become.
“It’s a paradox because one is a drivers’ championship, and sportscar racing in general has always been perceived as more of a manufacturers’ championship. But in the end, the drivers really can make the difference in the GT racing of today.”
#3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing, Mercedes AMG GT3 EVO: Max Verstappen, Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon
Photo by: Red Bull Content Pool
How Verstappen is contributing to the GT3 boom
Verstappen contested a pair of races in the NLS last year. After making his debut in a Porsche Cayman GT4 RS to gain the necessary Grade A licence, he won in his first GT3 race at the Nordschleife while sharing an Emil Frey-entered Ferrari 296 GT3 with Chris Lulham.
This year, he has stepped up his involvement in GT3s, with Winward entering a Mercedes-AMG GT3 under the Verstappen Racing banner in several NLS rounds.
Outside F1 race weekends, the Dutchman is often seen testing GT3 cars in private, and he also sampled a Nissan Z GT500 machine at Fuji Speedway in March as part of a promotional exercise for Red Bull.
Verstappen’s sportscar exploits have helped raise the profile of a category that was founded 20 years ago and has become the default platform for GT-based racing.
“Max is great. He has brought a very positive contribution to the class,” said Ratel.
“But he is not the first one and the only one. In the history of GT3, we had a number of key elements that helped along the way to get a larger public to know about it. The first one, who we unfortunately lost last weekend, is Alex Zanardi. Then we also had Valentino Rossi, who has been hugely important.
“Of course, Max has been [great] from last year when he started posting about watching his team in our series and coming now to the Nurburgring. It’s a huge appeal. And it brings just another step in the general public recognition of GT3 racing.”
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– The Autosport.com Team
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