Max Verstappen revealed that he would like to compete in more races outside of Formula 1, and stated that he would have participated in the 24 Hours of Spa this year if there had been no conflict with the F1 calendar. The Dutchman highlighted that Formula 1 commitments end up limiting his participation in other competitions.
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The four-time world champion took advantage of the April break to compete in the qualifiers for the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, an event held at the iconic Nordschleife-Nurburgring circuit with over 20 km in length, considered preparation for the traditional endurance race. The weekend, however, ended dramatically after the death of Juha Miettinen, 66 years old, as well as technical problems with Verstappen’s Mercedes-AMG GT3 that prevented a possible victory.
During the Formula 1 Miami GP press conference, Verstappen stated that he remains interested in expanding his participation in endurance races: “I want to do more, of course, but that also depends a bit on the F1 calendar,” said the Red Bull Racing driver. The Dutchman specifically highlighted the 24 Hours of Spa as a race he would like to compete in.
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“For example, if there was a free weekend for the 24 Hours of Spa, I would have done it this year as well,” Verstappen said. “So, whenever there is the possibility to race, I would love to do it,” he added.
The Dutch driver’s participation in the traditional race at Spa-Francorchamps became unfeasible due to the date clash with the Formula 1 Austrian GP, the tenth round of the season. Both races are scheduled for the same weekend at the end of June.
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