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By Saajan Jogia
Sports Contributing Writer
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Red Bull Racing driver Max Verstappen will step away from Formula One after his Italian Grand Prix victory on Sunday, pursuing his racing interests away from the premier class of racing.
Newsweek Sports understands that Verstappen will head over to the Nürburgring Nordschleife racetrack in the heart of the Eifel region in the coming days to race in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS). However, to compete in a GT3 car, Verstappen is mandated to undergo a driver training course on Friday, September 12, which is followed by a final exam.
On Saturday, he will have to race in a less powerful car before competing in a Ferrari 296 GT3. The four-time world champion will likely race in a Porsche Cayman GT4 CS from Lionspeed GP to secure his Nordschleife license. But for Verstappen to secure the license in just one race, he must race in two different cars on Saturday and complete 14 laps without attracting a penalty.
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After obtaining his license, Verstappen will reportedly compete two weeks later, on September 27, in the ninth round of the NLS in a Ferrari 296 GT3 with the Swiss team Emil Frey Racing. This will mark his first Nordschleife race in a GT3 car. The news arrives weeks after the 27-year-old driver set an unofficial lap record at the Nürburgring in a Ferrari 296 GT3.
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The NLS race is scheduled a week after the upcoming Azerbaijan Grand Prix in Baku, where Verstappen is expected to remain strong in his Red Bull RB21, considering the slow-speed corners, which are similar to those at the previous race at Monza, where he secured victory.
Verstappen started the Italian Grand Prix on pole position and maintained his lead for most of the 53 laps. While he came under threat from McLaren's Lando Norris in the opening lap, he soon passed the Briton and cut through clean air. Speaking to the media after winning the race, the Dutchman said:
"It was a great day for us. Lap 1 was a bit unlucky but after that we were flying. The car was really enjoyable. I could manage the pace quite well throughout that first stint and we pitted at the right time.
"With the hard tyres at the end, you can push a bit more, it's more resilient. Fantastic execution by everyone by the whole team. The whole weekend, we were on it. It's super enjoyable to win here."
Speaking about the superior pace of his RB21 F1 car, Verstappen said:
"I could see the pace was good, I just needed to settle in. I could see the pace was there and quite quickly we were back in the lead. This was an unbelievable weekend."
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