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Max Verstappen will make his long-awaited debut at the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend, but the balance of performance might hurt his chances of winning the event.
The Red Bull Formula 1 driver has been looking forward to this event ever since he obtained the permit needed to compete in the Nurburgring 24 Hours. Verstappen has done multiple NLS events leading up to the race.
Racing with Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer in the Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo, the Dutchman will be looking to make even more of an impression in the paddock. Everyone finds it ‘so cool’ that Verstappen is taking part, and he will have victory in his sights.
Will you be tuning into the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend?
However, certain factors could limit his chances. Verstappen will face ‘amateur’ drivers in the dark, according to one of his rivals, which is something that he will have to be wary of, along with the fact that he has never raced on the Nordschleife at night.
Furthermore, the balance of performance, which is aimed at creating a level playing field amongst cars and manufacturers, has given Verstappen and his team a disadvantage.
Max Verstappen’s Mercedes is one of the heaviest on the grid at the Nurburgring 24 Hours
A report from RacingNews365 details what the BoP has restricted on Verstappen’s Mercedes at the Nurburgring. Immediately, a weight disadvantage is noticed.
The AMG will run at a minimum weight of 1,355 kilograms, making it one of the heaviest cars in the field. In comparison, it is 35 kilos heavier than the McLaren 720S GT3 and 30 kilos heavier than the Audi R8 LMS Evo II.
Furthermore, the AMG is racing with 34.5mm restrictors to ‘keep the power in check’. Verstappen’s Mercedes will be heavy and not as quick on the straights, which could hamper him.
However, the AMG does have its advantages, as it can carry a fuel load of 121 litres, beating German rivals BMW and Audi, which allows for strategic flexibility.
It also has a ‘prescribed rear wing angle of 5.0 degrees’, which, while straight-line speed will be affected, will allow the Mercedes to generate significant natural downforce, making Verstappen and his teammates a force in the corners.
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Max Verstappen has previously criticised Balance of Performance
Verstappen has been warned not to be ‘slow’ at the Nurburgring, or he will have no chance of victory. But the BoP could do that for him anyway, as the weight and power restrictions could affect his performance.
The Red Bull is not a fan of the BoP, particularly at Le Mans, previously saying that drivers need ‘luck’ to win due to the restrictions.
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He said via RaceFans: “I always try to watch it every single year. Of course, I would say back when Tom [Kristensen] was racing it was really cool with different manufacturers really pushing each other.
“Then there were a few years where it was a bit, I would say, boring up top. There was not that much competition. But now I feel like it’s getting back to that.
“Of course you have to deal with the BoP, so sometimes also you need to luck-in a little bit, but at least it’s amazing to see so many top-class cars racing.”
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