This weekend, race car driver Max Verstappen is set to make his GT racing debut at the Nurburgring.

Max Verstappen, the four-time Formula 1 champion, is set to make his GT racing debut this weekend at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. This outing could be seen as a break from the pressures of F1 for the Dutch racer.

Verstappen will be driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 from the Emil Frey Racing Team in the Nuerburgring Langstrecken Series (NLS) race, two weeks after the Azerbaijan GP. The slower pace of the WEC series appeals to him, and he has expressed interest in endurance and sports car racing in the past, including races like Le Mans and Daytona.

To gain racing clearance at the track, Verstappen is required to pass a theory test this Friday and a final exam on Saturday. The final exam could be done in a Porsche Cayman GT4 CS from the Lionspeed GP team. He needs to pass these tests to prove his skills and knowledge of the track and its rules.

In addition, Verstappen needs to drive each race car for a total of 14 laps without receiving a penalty to get the officials to sign off. If he passes these requirements, he may fulfill the requirement for two different race starts by completing two separate stints in two different cars during the same race on Saturday.

This weekend's outing at the Nurburgring Nordschleife could also be an early indication of "next steps" for Verstappen in his racing career. Chris Lulhalm and Thierry Vermeulen, acquaintances of Verstappen, recently achieved the clearance necessary to race GT3 cars on the Nordschleife by completing similar tests and races.

Auto Motor Sport reported that Verstappen drove a GT3 car earlier this year under the name Franz Hermann. Helmut Marko, Red Bull Racing advisor, has reportedly approved Max Verstappen's GT racing debut.

Jack Aitken will race in a GT3 car for the Emil Frey Racing team at the Nürburgring Nordschleife on Saturday, following Max Verstappen's GT racing debut there.

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This weekend, race car driver Max Verstappen is set to make his GT racing debut at the Nurburgring.