Max Verstappen has been handed a crucial point ahead of his debut in the Nürburgring 24 Hours by Sébastien Buemi, namely that preparation for the Le Mans 24 Hours is significantly more restricted.
Verstappen has participated in multiple races at the Nordschleife in preparation for this weekend’s event, while he has also undergone several test sessions.
The four-time world champion has ensured he is fully prepared for anything the 24-hour race might throw at him, with Buemi certain the Dutchman will be eyeing victory.
GT racing has gained a huge fan in Verstappen, who has made no secret of his intention to compete in the biggest endurance races in the world.
One of those is the Le Mans 24 Hours, although Buemi, a three-time Le Mans overall winner, has highlighted a major difference the Red Bull star would face.
Unlike at the Nürburgring, drivers cannot conduct significant testing ahead of the Le Mans 24 Hours at the same circuit, let alone compete in smaller races.
It is not until Le Mans race week that drivers get a chance to lap the Circuit de la Sarthe, a major difference compared to the Nürburgring.
Discussing the challenges Verstappen would face in Le Mans compared to Nürburgring, Buemi explained in a ApexF1 interview: “I think he has really been into GT3 for a long time, and he’s obviously been practicing. It’s not like he’s just turned up there and had no laps, you know.
“So I feel like the practice he’s had is very good. Like, if he wants to do Le Mans, he would get no opportunities to drive Le Mans until race week. At the Nürburgring, at least you can do all the smaller races before; you can drive there with his car, his team, in the same conditions.
“So for me, obviously he’s put a lot of hours in, he’s put a lot of energy in. He’s not someone that would do that race just to make up the numbers. He’s going there for the win. He’s going there to do a big race. And because of that, I think he has prepared very well.
“Whereas I think for Le Mans, he would get less mileage — everyone gets less.”
