After Nurburgring, will Max Verstappen race in the Indy 500? F1 champ gives his verdict

Max Verstappen made his debut in the ADAC Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie this weekend (September 13-14). His qualifying performance in an artificially restricted car, the #980 Porsche Cayman GT4 CS (CUP3 class), for Round 7 of the season, was unexpectedly impressive.

Despite being in a car that had 300 horsepower, 125 hp less than the regular Porsche Cayman GT4 with 425 hp, Verstappen was only 15 seconds slower than the class leader on the 24.358 km circuit and qualified in sixth position. However, in comparison to drivers in similar modified, lower-power CUP3(G) cars, the Red Bull F1 driver was over 25 seconds quicker.

This brings up the question - if Max Verstappen can adapt to entirely new machinery so quickly, will he be open to more varied racing experiences in the future? For example, the Indy 500, aka the "Greatest Spectacle of Racing." The four-time F1 champion has addressed this question in the past, and the answer has always been in the negative.

Unfortunately, the case isn't any different this time around. In an interview with Mundo Deportivo published a couple of days before his Nurburgring debut, the Red Bull driver was asked if it was the dangers of the Indy 500 that put him off.

"Yes, I would say it's not worth the risk to compete there. After F1, you've risked your life enough for many years. So it's just another risk that, in my opinion, there comes a time when it's no longer worth taking," Max Verstappen replied.

The 27-year-old's performance at the NLS7 was impressive, as he drove the CUP3(G) in the first stint of the four-hour race at the 24.358 km Nurburgring Nordschleife. Along with teammate Chris Lulham, he secured a seventh-place finish in the CUP3 class, finishing ahead of several cars with more horsepower.

Max Verstappen has great 'respect' for IndyCar drivers and the Indy 500

INDYCAR 109th Running of The Indianapolis 500 - Source: Getty

In November 2024, Max Verstappen spoke about potentially attempting the Indy 500 and how much respect he has for the IndyCar drivers who compete in the 200-lap race on the fabled Indianapolis Motor Speedway. When asked if he would like to compete in the race one day, the Dutchman had replied:

""I'll watch. Maybe I'll walk up one day to watch it there live because I think it's a great experience there in Indianapolis. But for me, I have no desire to do the Indy 500. I have no desire to drive the Indy 500, but I respect a lot what they're doing.

There are a lot of great drivers in the series, that's why I try to watch it when I'm home. Some of these guys that are driving there, like Alex [Palou], I grew up with Alex in go-karting on the same team."

Max Verstappen had ruled out his interest in chasing the Triple Crown of motorsport, i.e., winning F1's Monaco GP, IndyCar's Indy 500, and the WEC's 24 Hours of Le Mans, primarily because of the dangers of the Indy 500 and oval racing. He remains open to racing in the 24 Hours of Le Mans.