FORMULA 1 WORLD CHAMPION MAX VERSTAPPEN IS INTERESTED IN COMPETING IN OTHER SERIES AMID UNCERTAINTY OVER HIS FUTURE WITH RED BULL AND HE'S NOW MOVED CLOSER TO MAKING IT A REALITY 11:44,

30 May 2025Updated 12:21, 30 May 2025 Max Verstappen has confirmed that he's taken steps towards racing outside of Formula 1. Verstappen, 27, has previously hinted at following in his

dad Jos' footsteps by competing in other series. That's despite the Dutchman being the dominant force in F1, winning the last four Drivers' Championships with Red Bull. But

amid uncertainty over his contract situation and having recently become a father, his long-term future in the sport has come into the spotlight. Now Verstappen has opened the door to

confirmed the news of his categorisation ahead of this weekend's Spanish Grand Prix. "I applied," he told media in Barcelona. SIGN UP TO OUR FREE WEEKLY F1 NEWSLETTER, PIT

LANE CHRONICLE, BY ENTERING YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS BELOW SO THAT EVERY NEW EDITION LANDS STRAIGHT IN YOUR INBOX! Article continues below "I have to do it at some point, so I better got it

out of the way. I mean, it's super easy, it's just a form that you fill in and you pay and a week later you have the answer. I was secretly hoping for a Bronze rating; I might

appeal the Platinum and get Silver at least!" On the weekend between the this month's Grands Prix in Miami and Imola, Verstappen drove a Ferrari 488 GT3 at the Nurburgring

Nordschleife during an open practice day. The 27-year-old claims that he recorded a time below the existing lap record, with this year's Nurburgring 24 Hours event taking place between

the Canadian and Austrian Grands Prix in June. That could be convenient for Verstappen, although he'd need more than his Platinum rating. Drivers also must obtain a 'Ring

Permit' which comes from racing around Nordschleife in other competitions within a specific time period. READ MORE: George Russell speaks his mind after getting more severe F1

penaltyREAD MORE: Lewis Hamilton speaks out on Ferrari race engineer relationship after F1 radio tension For now, though, his focus is on victory in Spain - or at least maximising Red

Bull's car. Currently third in the Drivers' Championship behind McLaren duo Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris, Verstappen is pessimistic about his chances of retaining the title for a

fifth year, as his previously dominant team continue to struggle for consistency this year. "For me, it doesn't really feel like a fight, to be honest," he admitted. "I

just try to do my best, have a bit of fun out there. It's not like this season up until this point is going to be in my memory forever." Verstappen, who's won every Spanish

Grand Prix since 2022, later added: "It's not that I don't believe. I just walk up to the track and I do the best I can every single weekend. I don't need to believe in

it fully or not. Article continues below "I know that every time that I go out there, I do the best I can. If that's with the car that is capable of P5, I will put it P5. If

it's capable of winning, I'll win. "I just approach it very simple, which also doesn't eat up a lot of energy as well. So I have a lot of free time outside of that.

It's not like trying to grab [the championship]. I mean, you can try and grab it, but if you don't have the car, there's nothing to grab." Calling all Max Verstappen

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