Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing’s ace driver, has stirred great interest by stating a desire to compete in the Le Mans 24 Hours after, or possibly during, his Formula One career. Verstappen’s intentions do not end there; he has also revealed that he has had approaches from World Endurance Championship teams drawn to his impressive track record in Formula One. Despite his interest in the Le Mans Hypercar category, Verstappen recognized the need of timing his debut to perfection, cautious of the hurdles given by incomplete regulations and Balance of Performance (BoP) issues that have surfaced since the class’s inception three years prior. He remarked during an interview with Autosport:
“Of course, you get contacted by certain people, but it has to come at the right time and in the right way.”
The allure of the Hypercar class is not lost on Verstappen, but the current regulatory nuances and the physical demands of the series call for a careful approach.
I don’t want to rush into a decision either. With those new cars, I think it will take at least another one or two years before it’s all better understood because at the end of the day, it is still a Balance of Performance story and that makes it difficult.”
One of the key concerns for Verstappen involves the weight regulations—or the lack thereof—within the realm of endurance racing. Drawing attention to the impacts of driver weight on performance, he argues for more standardized regulations.
“That depends fully on the preparation, whether it can be done in a good way or not. That’s a bit the same as what I usually do on the simulator. I obviously wouldn’t have driven that sim race during the Imola weekend if I couldn’t prepare properly for it, but this time I could and therefore it was possible.
“Of course, you can’t run Le Mans and Formula One in one weekend, but if it can be combined in a good way, then I think it can be done during the F1 season.”It’s too early for me to enter because of the new regulations as well, I think they need to sort out the BOP a little bit better between the cars.
“It’s a bit hit-and-miss here and there, I find. Plus, for me, also the driver weight, I feel like there needs to be a limit on that, because I might rock up at 80 kilos with kit, but there is also a driver that can be 50 or 60.
