Reigning Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen has singled out a circuit he considers “too dangerous” and will “never” return to the F1 calendar. It’s the iconic Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit in Germany, which last hosted the German Grand Prix in 1976. Verstappen, who has been spotted driving a GT3 car on the track, stated that the circuit is too dangerous for current Formula 1 cars. In an interview with Formula 1 magazine, the Dutch driver commented: “That’s not really going to happen with the Formula 1 cars we have now, I’m afraid. With the speed of a GT3, it’s fine and still doable. I’ve seen old footage from time to time, also of Formula 1 on the Nordschleife… One thing is for sure: F1 there, that will never happen again. Too dangerous.”

Additionally, it has been reported that Thailand has plans to host an F1 Grand Prix for the first time in 2028. Following a key meeting, a $1.27 billion project was approved to bring the top flight of motorsport to Bangkok. Thai driver Alex Albon told SPORTbible about the possibility: “I think it will be a great addition to Formula 1. I think Southeast Asia hasn’t seen much of F1. We have a race in Japan [Suzuka], we were going to have one in Vietnam, but bringing Thailand into the spotlight is great. Everyone knows Thailand; it’s very tourist-friendly and attracts a lot of people, but I think the Thai Grand Prix will be the biggest sporting event they’ll have in Thailand, which will be huge.”

In short, Verstappen rules out the return of the historic and dangerous Nürburgring Nordschleife to F1, while the sport continues to expand into new regions such as Southeast Asia with the Thailand project for 2028.