Verstappen’s Nürburgring cameo follows in a fine tradition

On Saturday, the Dutchman turned out in a round of the Nürburgring Langstrecken Series, but only after sitting a theory test the day before to gain permission (yes, really). No exceptions were made for the four-time World Champion, whose aim at the Nürburgring was simply to do what he needed to earn a DMSB Permit A which will allow him to race in GT3 cars on the fearsome 12.94-mile Nordschleife.

Verstappen was humble and didn’t complain as he lined up in a detuned (!) Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS. As we would expect he performed impressively, and although he didn’t quite complete the necessary requirements to earn his GT3 licence, the organising committee reviewed his case and granted him one. Too right…

Back in May, Verstappen lapped an Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 at what was said to be record pace, running under the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’. Now reports suggest he might well return to the Ferrari’s cockpit under his own name for the next round of the Nürburgring series, the week after the forthcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix, having raved about his experience in the modest Cayman. What a brilliant diversion from the day job.

All-rounders vs the specialist

In the past, performing as an ‘all-rounder’ in an assortment of racing cars wasn’t really a talking point; it was just what all F1 drivers did, week in, week out, season to season. From Jim Clark — subject of emotional tributes at the Revival this weekend – to Graham Hill, Jackie Stewart to Dan Gurney, racing drivers competed in whatever and wherever they could because that’s simply what professionals did to graft a living.

By the 1980s and into the ’90s, the practice became much less common. Racing drivers, particularly F1 stars, started to become specialists and tended to stick to their lane, only diverting to others once their Grand Prix careers were at an end.

Today, cameos are slightly more common via sim racing. It’s a welcome way for topline stars to mix in other racing circles, but does it really count? Virtual racing from the comfort of their own home isn’t quite the same as putting it all on the line on the Nordschleife — so we’d say no!

The reality is Verstappen is very much in the minority. But he’s not unique on the current grid for mixing it up in other categories…

Fernando Alonso’s triple crown chase

Still defiantly racing at the pinnacle at 44, there’s no one in modern motorsport quite like Fernando Alonso. His racing spirit and refreshing widescreen view of the whole sport is a throwback to early ages, and his record is that of a true all-rounder.

In truth, it was only the derailing of his F1 career during his unhappy second spell at McLaren that fuelled his divergence into other racing avenues. Without hope of chasing a third World Title to add to those won long ago with Renault in 2005-06, Alonso’s imagination was caught by a new goal: to claim racing’s unofficial triple crown, adding victories at the Le Mans 24 Hours and the Indianapolis 500 to his Monaco Grand Prix victories of 2006 and ’07.

Only a Honda engine failure robbed him of a chance to bid for an Indy 500 win on his sensational debut at the Brickyard in 2017, before he stepped away from F1 for what became a two-year hiatus, during which he logged back-to-back Le Mans wins with Toyota and the 2018-19 World Endurance Championship.

Graham Hill’s feat of claiming the triple crown remains unique, however. Two further attempts at the Indy 500 ended in disappointment, particularly in 2019 when he failed to even qualify.

During his spell in sportscar racing, Alonso also scooped a Daytona 24 Hours victory with Wayne Taylor Racing’s Cadillac team in 2019. Then in 2020 — before his F1 return a year later with Alpine — he really took a turn off-piste, with a crack at the Dakar Rally with Toyota.

The F1 career will have to end one day, even for Alonso. But when that sad day comes, don’t bank on it being the end of this warrior’s motorsport adventures. A return to Dakar? More sportscar racing? Perhaps another bid at Indy? Rule nothing out.

Lando Norris: teenage sensation at Daytona

At the start of Alonso’s extra-curricular adventures, a teenage Lando Norris found himself drawn into a fascinating little cameo beside the great man at the 2018 Daytona 24 Hours. McLaren racing chief Zak Brown provided the opportunity through his United Autosports team and a Ligier LMP2 that couldn’t really hold a candle to the DPi cars it was pitched against.

Nevertheless, Alonso and the 18-year-old McLaren reserve driver relished the opportunity to race in Florida in January, joining future Ferrari Le Mans winner Phil Hanson in the three-driver line-up.

Norris’ cameo, on the back of his successful 2017 European Formula 3 campaign, offered another little sign he was something special, because to some extent he actually outshone Alonso in the Ligier.

After the Spaniard made a strong start from 13^th on the grid, Norris put in a terrific stint in the rain. In fact, for a while his was the fastest car on the circuit and even briefly led the race as pitstop strategies cycled through. Alonso, who would win the race a year later, was seriously impressed by the young driver’s efforts.

The United Autosports Ligier only finished 38^th overall and 13^th in class after the trio suffered delays. But Norris had left his mark on the race. Maybe one day he’ll have the chance to return and do it again.

Hülkenberg’s perfect Le Mans record

Of the other drivers on the current F1 grid, Sauber’s Nico Hülkenberg has perhaps the best and most cool cameo record.

In 2015, while racing for what was then Force India in F1, the German joined Porsche’s LMP1 squad as part of a rookie line-up in a third 919 beside GT graduates Nick Tandy and Earl Bamber. After what amounted to a rehearsal at the Spa 6 Hours, the trio headed to Le Mans and pulled off a sensational victory.

It was something of a shock result, though not to Tandy: “To the outside world the other two Porsches were the favoured cars because they had the experience, they were doing the full championship with the LMP1 factory drivers,” he said.

“And then there was us three, two of which had never raced at Le Mans and none of us had raced an LMP1. Not a lot was expected. But we’d done a lot of testing, as you’d expect. We knew from an engineering perspective we were equal to the other two and I personally believed we could win the race.

“If you believe you are going to win you have every chance. If you are not sure you are capable of winning you probably won’t. That year at Le Mans I gave the other two confidence that we could go out there and do the job. We might be rookies, but who cares? We went out there and dominated, lapped the field. It was fantastic.”

A week later, Hülkenberg was back in his Force India finishing sixth at the Austrian Grand Prix, with a sack full of extra kudos following his Le Mans adventure. The circumstances of his ongoing F1 career means he has yet to return to the 24 Hours. Perhaps he will one day, but if he doesn’t, one appearance and one win is an unbeaten record to savour.

Images courtesy of Getty Images.