During a rare free weekend from Formula 1, the Dutchman entered the ADAC ACAS Cup, a four-hour race in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. His goal was not to win but to earn the special Permit A licence. Without it, no driver is allowed to compete on the Green Hell in faster cars such as GT3 machines.

Verstappen raced with the Lionspeed GP team and entered two Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 cars, one in the SP7 class and another in CUP3. His teammate was British sim racing partner Chris Lulham, and the plan was for them to share both cars. However, technical problems disrupted those plans. The Cayman with number 89 spent a long time in the pits and barely took part in the race, which meant Verstappen had to put all his focus on the second car, the number 980 Cayman.

Qualifying was held in wet conditions and Verstappen started the race in the #980. He lost positions early on, not through mistakes but because his car was limited under the rules for newcomers, with more than 120 horsepower less than a normal GT4. Even so, he managed a best lap of nine minutes and one second. That was about twenty seconds slower than the fastest GT4 cars but more than twenty seconds quicker than another Cayman running with the same handicap.

Over the course of the four-hour race Verstappen completed more than half the distance before handing over to Lulham. Together they finished seventh in the CUP3 class and 27th overall. Most importantly, Verstappen completed the required fourteen laps in the #980. Thanks to the short appearance of the #89 on track, he was also able to record a second official start, which is needed for the licence. With that, the stewards confirmed that all the conditions had been met and awarded Verstappen his Permit A.

Afterwards Verstappen was clearly pleased. “I am happy it all went smoothly and I got my Permit Nordschleife,” he said. “It was good to drive in race conditions with traffic, both faster and slower cars. I also drove in the wet, in the dry and in mixed conditions, so I learned where the grip is and where it is not.”

He also spoke about the challenge of the Nordschleife itself. “It is very challenging. On one lap some parts were dry and others were wet, and the surface also changes around the circuit. That makes it difficult to put a lap together but it is also what makes this track so special. To race here in a GT3 car for 24 hours would be amazing.”

With the Permit A now secured, Verstappen is expected to return in two weeks for the next NLS race. This time, he will finally be able to compete in a GT3 car on the "Green Hell".