Nurburgring 24 Hours warning for Max Verstappen from F1 safety car driver
Max Verstappen has received some tips from someone who knows how to win at the Nurburgring.
F1 safety car driver Bernd Maylander has offered Max Verstappen some advice ahead of his debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours next month.
Four-time world champion Verstappen will contest the famed 24-hour race at the legendary German circuit for the first time on 16-17 May in a Red Bull-branded Mercedes-AMG GT3.
The Red Bull driver will team up with three pro GT team-mates for the assault - Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer.
Maylander, who won the event in 2000, has offered Verstappen some tips to be successful in the race.
"I follow everything he does at the Nürburgring," Maylander told RacingNews365.
"It's great that we have a Formula 1 champion taking part in the 24 Hours. That's good for the sport, the fans and the championship.
"I tried to win that race seven times. Twice I was very close, once I crashed while we were in the lead. Only in 2000 did everything fall into place and we won.
"My most important advice? We had a perfect team and a perfect car in 2000, but during every briefing, the message was the same: the drivers have to cooperate with the team.
"If you know the car is good and the speed is there, think about that finish flag. Don't risk too much.”
Verstappen thought he had won last month’s NLS2 race at the Nurburgring, only to be stripped of victory after the race due to a tyre violation.
"It's always a bit of luck with the rules and the Code 60 situations. You can get a penalty on your pants that way," Maylander added.
"But the most important thing: stay on the track. Traffic is the biggest lesson I had to learn. Don't push too hard on the inside.
"In the last 30 years, we have seen that even the fastest cars don't make it if they take too much risk.
"We also had one driver in 2000 who took a lot of risks. We really had to contain him and say, 'Hey, keep it safe.' We're on pole, but you don't have to be first after the first corner.
"The race is incredibly long. If you don't lead after lap one, maybe you will on lap 50. That option is always there, as long as you keep the car in one piece."
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