David Coulthard sees what sets Max Verstappen apart after Nurburgring 24 Hours debut

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David Coulthard has explained why Max Verstappen stands out from the rest of the Formula 1 grid after his debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

Over the weekend, Verstappen, along with teammates Daniel Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, took part in the Nurburgring 24 Hours.

With around four hours left of the event, Team Verstappen were on course for victory but were eventually denied due to a car problem.

Juncadella was at the wheel when the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo suffered an ABS issue, which meant Team Verstappen ended up finishing in 38th place.

Speaking on the latest episode of the Up To Speed podcast, ex-Red Bull driver Coulthard praised Verstappen’s bravery to take on such an event.

The 55-year-old went on to question whether any other current F1 driver would accept the challenge of competing in a 24-hour race around the Nurburgring.

Coulthard said: “That is a scary race track, I’ve been around that. The commitment that is required at the level you need to have to be competitive and to be at the front like they were. 

“Sadly, we reported a couple of weeks ago, there was a driver who lost his life on that very track, due to the nature of the challenge of the race track.

“So, we should not sort of just look at it as oh, Max loves driving so much he’s just out having fun on the weekends, if he was doing that, he could go to any of the FIA-regulated tracks that are very similar to the current F1 tracks.

“But, to go there (Nurburgring), this is old school commitment, and that’s what sets him apart from the others.

“The others are technically very good racing drivers, there’s no question about it. I would question whether any other driver on the Formula 1 grid right now would accept the challenge to go and race at the Nurburgring. Anyone?”

Do you want to see Max Verstappen attempt the 24 Hours of Nurburging again?

Team Verstappen finished 38th after a driveshaft issue cost them the lead!

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READ MORE: Max Verstappen made ‘very clear’ promise to Nurburgring 24 Hours teammates after lost victory

Previously, it was revealed that the current F1 world championship leader Kimi Antonelli wants to race at the Nurburgring.

However, speaking recently, Mercedes deputy team principal Bradley Lord has stated that Antonelli will not be allowed.

As reported by Motorsport, Lord said to Nitro when asked whether Mercedes would allow Antonelli to obtain the DMSB Nordschleife Permit (DPN) this year: “No, I’ve spoken to him about it. I think he meant it more as a joke.”