Paddock Patrol

F1 with a lot of Verstappen

[grogumaximus]

[thissying]

[sab3rtooth]

kind of love that the entire internet is under the impression that tumblr is dead. it’s like being part of a secret society

[perpetua-locomotion]

the 24 hours of nurburgring is just fundamentally philosophically opposed to f1. the most obvious being: one is long one wants to be ever shorter.

but! the most fundamental difference is between "overtakes" and "overtakes" (yes both in brackets). on the nurburgring you have hundreds of "overtakes" between cars from different classes... but they can lose you time, gain you time if you do them well. you can get lucky or unlucky, you can pull off bold and brilliant moves.

you see the skill of the driver so often, in everything that they do, even when they aren't fighting for positions. because they are always fighting the track itself, and they are always fighting the nature of the race. you can see it.

compare that to f1, where the "overtakes" are as stripped of skill as they can be. and more importantly, even if there is skill involved, we dont get to see it, because the battery management happened half a lap ago and you only saw the car slow down.

i think the fact that people loved watching the nurburgring shows is what the essence of watching motorsport is. we want to see the drivers make a difference. we want to see the decisions they make and how it impacts the race.

amd f1 has gone against this not only with the regulations, but also with the way they are presented.

oh, and the overtakes for position on the nurburgring are amazing.

[perpetua-locomotion]

Interviews from this article:

German racing legend Harald Grohs (82), who witnessed the “Verstappen spectacle” firsthand at the Nürburgring, sums it up. The Essen native told F1 Insider: “I’ve driven an enormous number of laps on the Nordschleife and know what matters. But I’ve never seen anyone drive the way Max did. He overtook in places where it’s actually considered impossible.”

.

Verstappen’s mentor, Helmut Marko—who, as Red Bull Racing’s chief advisor, brought Verstappen into Formula 1 when he was just 17—isn’t surprised. The Graz native told F1 Insider: “Max is possibly the greatest race car driver of all time. He proved that once again in no uncertain terms on the Nordschleife. In any case, the performance was extremely good for his image.”

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The fact that he adapted to the Mercedes-AMG GT3’s quirks in such a short time was almost considered alarming within the team.

One team member revealed after the race: “Max asks questions like an engineer and drives like a maniac. You don’t usually see that combination.”

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After the race, Lucas Auer said admiringly, “He could have just gotten in the car and driven fast. But Max wanted to understand every detail. That’s what makes him so special.”

[anemptyflask]

Okay :) I'm fine with crying again :)

[thissying]

Luggi and Dani interview

[dannielricciardo]

unstoppable force (f1 scheduling next year so that max can't participate because they look like clowns rn to everyone who watches racing) vs immovable object (nurburgring 24h will move to accomodate max because the amount of publicity he brings will off set any cost of the movement)

[maxcore]

JULES 😭

[paddockpatrol]

📸 Verstappen racing

[thissying]

🎥 nossport

[grogumaximus]

[verstappenalty]

f1 managament: the fans these days want sprint races bc they don't have to focus for so long

the 500000 people going in person to watch a 24-hour race: .....are you sure?

[thissying]

📷 sparco_official

[grogumaximus]

The competition is impressed by Max Verstappen's demeanor ahead of the Nürburgring 24 Hours. A hero for German motorsport, completely without any star airs.

René Rast, BMW Driver

"I think it's amazing!" declares Rene Rast. The three-time DTM champion, who has also won the 24 Hours of Le Mans, won't be on the starting grid in 2026, but he's thoroughly enjoying following the Verstappen mania: "I watched NLS 2 when Haase raced against him. I texted Haase right afterwards: 'Great show! You kept the GT3 flag flying high for us guys!'"

"I think it's great that Max is here and integrating like a normal GT3 driver," Rast states. "No star attitude, nothing like that. He shows up, sits in on the drivers' briefing, and participates in everything. Max is an exceptional talent."

Frank Stippler, car # 67

"Being a Formula 1 superstar means taking a risk," says veteran Nordschleife pro Frank Stippler, impressed by the approach. Stippler aims to be among the frontrunners again this year in a Ford Mustang GT3. He was one of the drivers who witnessed Verstappen's GT3 debut in the NLS last autumn.

For Stippler, "risk" isn't just about accidents – which is why many F1 stars are often barred from other racing series by their teams. "It's also about criticism if you don't immediately dominate against GT3 amateurs. The fact that he's completely unfazed by that and simply follows his passion elevates him to another level in my eyes." (...)

"For me, Max Verstappen is one of the outstanding drivers of his generation," says Stippler. "Just like Michael Schumacher, Ayrton Senna, or Fernando Alonso before them. It's an honor to compete against him."

Verstappen's tremendous effort has already brought record attendance figures to the NLS's four-hour races in recent months. Records are also expected at the 24-hour race. "And Max has played a major role in that," says Stippler. "I'm simply delighted that Max is pushing the Nordschleife the way he is right now."

Timo Glock, car # 69

This dedication to the project goes far beyond what some might expect from an F1 superstar. "Look at him, he flies back from some race, sits in Spa for testing on Monday morning," says Timo Glock. The former F1 driver will also be back at the Nürburgring in 2026, driving a GT3 McLaren for Dörr Motorsport in a classic Schumacher livery

"Last year, when they had that film presentation, all the Formula 1 drivers were on the red carpet, and he's sitting in Spa in the morning after an overseas flight, testing GT3, or a day later," said Glock. "Just that. Yes, the way he does it, I have so much respect for that." (...)

"Everyone involved in motorsport in Germany should bow down to him, because German motorsport hasn't received this much attention in years," Timo Glock goes even further. BMW M Sport boss Andreas Roos agrees: "Ultimately, it helps us all."

[firstwefinish]

he’s a (teammate) eater! posting here bc it’s circulating on the twt machine againe lol

[cainrising]

mamaaaaaa