Max Verstappen has triggered a key motorsport rule change.

Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen has triggered a key motorsport rule change (Image: Getty)

Max Verstappen has triggered a rule change in motorsport as drivers will now be able to count sim racing experience when applying for a DMSB Permit Nordschleife licence. The Dutchman starred in the ninth round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) in a Ferrari 296 GT3 in September, after entering the event without any real-world experience in multi-class racing.

Verstappen shared a car with British driver Chris Lulham and began the race from third but managed to claim victory at the Nordschleife circuit in Germany after creating a gap of more than 60 seconds to the next car in his category. The four-time reigning F1 world champion was lauded within the motorsport community for his performance at the wheel. And his achievements have obviously struck a chord.

Germany’s motorsport federation will now count participation in official NLS sim racing competitions when drivers apply for the Permit B.

And Verstappen’s incredible performance at NLS9 played a key role in the change.

And VLN sporting director Christian Vormann explained: “Since the launch of the DNLS in 2020, we have known that sim racing is far more than casual entertainment. It reproduces reality in a highly accurate way.

“More recently, Verstappen’s participation in an NLS race showed how crucial virtual preparation can be, especially on the demanding Nordschleife.

“His secret is sim racing. Verstappen has completed countless laps on iRacing in the Green Hell, including DNLS events. It was no surprise that he immediately felt comfortable.”

Chris Lulham and Max Verstappen (right)

Max Verstappen starred in the ninth round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) (Image: Getty)

Following his appearance at the Nordschleife circuit, Verstappen wrote on Instagram: “That was fun!!! Felt great to be back at Nordschleife and to take the win with @chrislulham20. Until next time!”

And he said from the circuit: “The first two stints went really well, the car worked perfectly in the dry. We had a bit of bad luck in qualifying, but in the race everything with the traffic worked out fine.

“I think I didn’t make any major mistakes in those two stints. And to win here on my very first attempt, that’s just fantastic.”

The 28-year-old went on to explain: “Of course, I would really like to compete in the 24 Hours at some point. If it happens next year, I’ll say so – but we still need more experience. That’s the way it is, so hopefully we’ll do more races here next year.”

Meanwhile, Haupt Racing Team driver Frank Stippler, who finished third on the day, remarked: “As everyone knows, he is the best track driver in the world. That’s why I’m not surprised by his overall win.”