It has now been almost five months since Max Verstappen made his debut in the 24 Hours of the Nürburgring, where the four-time world champion impressed both rivals and fans with his performance on the legendary Nordschleife. Those who shared the track with him hope he will return for another attempt in 2027, believing his passion for racing and humility away from Formula 1 deserve widespread recognition.
One of those rivals is BMW factory driver Augusto Farfus. The Brazilian has been part of the German manufacturer for more than 18 years and had the opportunity to take part in a Formula 1 test in Valencia for Sauber in 2008, when the team ran BMW engines. He and Verstappen had not met back then, but they did on the Nordschleife. Unfortunately, the #1 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo retired overnight due to a technical issue.
A duel between Farfus and Verstappen never materialised. Next year, it might. The BMW driver would love that. "Amazing. I mean, I think everyone wins in this kind of environment because it shows how humble Max is," Farfus tells GPblog. "He's probably one of, if not the greatest of all time," he emphasises. According to him, it speaks volumes that Verstappen simply decided to take part in the 24h Nürburgring.
"To put himself among, I don't know how many, a thousand crazy drivers around the Nordschleife shows how humble he is and how open he is to a challenge, so chapeau for that," says Farfus, who took victory on the Nordschleife in 2010 and 2025. "It shows how fast he is in any type of car, which is not a surprise, but on the other side it also shows how good some of the drivers are who have not made it to Formula One, who can battle with him on the same level, even if they've not made it to Formula One. I think that was something very nice."
Augusto Farfus takes his hat off to Max Verstappen - Photo: Gruppe C Photography
#nordschleife #shows #racing
One of those rivals is BMW factory driver Augusto Farfus. The Brazilian has been part of the German manufacturer for more than 18 years and had the opportunity to take part in a Formula 1 test in Valencia for Sauber in 2008, when the team ran BMW engines. He and Verstappen had not met back then, but they did on the Nordschleife. Unfortunately, the #1 ROWE Racing BMW M4 GT3 Evo retired overnight due to a technical issue.
A duel between Farfus and Verstappen never materialised. Next year, it might. The BMW driver would love that. "Amazing. I mean, I think everyone wins in this kind of environment because it shows how humble Max is," Farfus tells GPblog. "He's probably one of, if not the greatest of all time," he emphasises. According to him, it speaks volumes that Verstappen simply decided to take part in the 24h Nürburgring.
"To put himself among, I don't know how many, a thousand crazy drivers around the Nordschleife shows how humble he is and how open he is to a challenge, so chapeau for that," says Farfus, who took victory on the Nordschleife in 2010 and 2025. "It shows how fast he is in any type of car, which is not a surprise, but on the other side it also shows how good some of the drivers are who have not made it to Formula One, who can battle with him on the same level, even if they've not made it to Formula One. I think that was something very nice."
Augusto Farfus takes his hat off to Max Verstappen - Photo: Gruppe C Photography
#nordschleife #shows #racing
3 months ago
