Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen is no stranger to living outside of open-wheel racing. In his spare time, he mostly drives virtual GT3 cars in iRacing and even runs his own real-world racing team under the Verstappen.com Racing banner in DTM and GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE).

Earlier in May, the Dutchman was spotted taking laps around the infamous Nurburgring Nordschleife behind everyone’s back (until the media picked up on his antics). He wasn’t driving an RB21 but instead a Ferrari 296 GT3 during a practice session for the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), under the cheeky pseudonym Franz Hermann.

Later that month, Verstappen himself spilled the news that his application for a platinum license—the highest possible driver category—had been approved. This fueled speculations that he aims to compete in the famed endurance in the Eifel region next year, and last weekend was an indication that it’s nearer to the truth.

Without any secret, Verstappen announced that he would enter the seventh round of the NLS last Saturday (September 13) under Lionspeed GP, joined by his team’s driver in the GTWCE, Chris Lulham, and driving a detuned Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 Clubsport in the Cup3 class under grade-B permits.

Due to the nature of the Green Hell, every driver who wants to enter the Nurburgring 24 Hours must undergo a recognition period, which requires driving a lower-class vehicle (such as the Cup3 Cayman GT4) and attaining at least 14 laps and two classified race results in total.

The goal for the 27-year-old racer was not to win, as he and Lulham crossed the line in P7. Despite his second stint in another Cayman GT4 CS being cancelled due to an incident in qualifying, the deciding committee took the predicament and his performance on track into consideration, and officially granted Max Verstappen a grade-A license.

“I really enjoyed myself, but that’s always the case around here,” he said. “To contest a 24-hour race here, in a GT3 car, would be amazing.” When that drive would come is still a mystery, but keep in mind that the Dutchman would find ways to keep racing in his spare time.

The ninth NLS round is set to take place on September 27, between the Azerbaijan and Singapore Grands Prix. Make that what you will.