David Schumacher: Great to see huge fan turnout for Max Verstappen enjoying himself at Nordschleife

Verstappen returned to the Nordschleife last weekend for the ADAC 24h Qualifiers, using the event as final preparation for the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May, where he is set to share a Mercedes AMG GT3 with Jules Gounon, Dani Juncadella, and Lucas Auer.

Schumacher highlighted the immediate effect Verstappen has had on the Nordschleife paddock, particularly among spectators: “A lot has changed because of it, especially regarding the fans.”

“We see a huge increase in fans, but in one place. They are all standing around Verstappen’s pit box. So much so that everything is cordoned off and it is full of security everywhere when Max walks around there.”

The German, son of former Formula 1 driver Ralf Schumacher, views the situation as a net positive for endurance racing and GT3 competition: “It is, of course, great to see. We have a four time Formula 1 world champion driving and having a tremendous amount of fun,” he said.

Schumacher believes Verstappen’s presence underlines the level of GT3 racing, pointing to the competitive benchmark set by established endurance drivers.

“In the last two races, we also saw Christopher Haase, a true veteran, being incredibly fast and driving great races with Max. I think this is fantastic promotion for our sport and it also shows that the GT3 is of a high standard, especially since Max sometimes has his hands full with it,” he explained.

While acknowledging Verstappen’s raw ability, Schumacher noted that the Nordschleife remains a unique challenge, even for elite drivers: “He decides it on the track, just like last time. But back then, someone with little experience got into the car.

"As a result, we unfortunately couldn’t see the continuation of Verstappen against Haase. But I still think it’s great to see that Max is having so much fun while at the same time really having to put in the effort.”

Schumacher concluded with a clear assessment of the competitive landscape: “When the real GT3 top drivers show their true colors, then it gets really serious business.”