Rossi is about to conquer the Nürburgring permit

Valentino Rossi is targeting his Nürburgring permit in 2026, and the nine-time motorcycle world champion is getting closer to making his Green Hell dream a reality. Rossi wants to secure his Nordschleife permit in the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS) before the end of the 2026 season, bringing his dream of competing in the 24-hour race one step closer.

Rossi targets Nürburgring permit before 2026 is over

Speaking on the sidelines of the Spa 24 Hours, Rossi made it clear that the Nordschleife is now firmly in his sights. “Yes, because it now looks like you can get the permit done in a single weekend. We are in talks with BMW to organise everything. The Nürburgring 24 Hours is definitely on my bucket list.

Rossi is aiming to secure a Nordschleife permit this year, with the ultimate goal of competing in the Nürburgring 24 Hours in a GT3 car. That makes a permit in 2026 a realistic target.

The Italian is committed to a full campaign in the GT World Challenge Europe this year, competing in both the Sprint and Endurance Cup races. That busy schedule makes fitting in an NLS outing tricky, but not impossible.

Two NLS starts in a smaller car, until now

For years, the Nürburgring permit was the single biggest obstacle blocking Rossi from entering the famous 24-hour race. Previously, drivers needed to complete two starts on the Nordschleife in the NLS in a car below three-litre capacity to obtain the licence. For a driver already racing at the top level of GT3, dropping down to a smaller car over multiple weekends was a tough ask.

Rossi is now in his fifth year as a GT3 driver and continues to deliver impressive performances, especially considering his FIA Silver driver categorisation. Despite this rating, he regularly competes at the pinnacle of sports car racing against top Gold and Platinum-ranked professionals.

Following Max Verstappen’s highly publicised outing at the event in May 2026, Rossi is now the second mega-star of the global motorsport scene aiming for the Nürburgring 24 Hours.

A permit in a single weekend

Here is where everything changes. Following the simplification of the permit regulations last winter, Rossi only needs to complete one race and eight laps during an NLS event or the 24h Qualifiers. Additionally, he must avoid any driving infractions during the race. One clean weekend. That is all it takes now.

The DMSB Permit Nordschleife (DPN), the licence required to compete in the event, underwent a significant rule change over the off-season, with it now easier to acquire a Level A Permit, the type required to compete in the fastest machinery at the event, such as the top SP 9 category for GT3 cars.

Rossi also has an unexpected advantage. The changes also mean that drivers can work towards their A Permit through competing in the Digital Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie, the championship’s official esports series held each winter. And Rossi is no stranger to the sim. “The Nordschleife is a great track for everybody: the drivers love the circuit and I’ve done something like 2,000 laps on the simulator with my friends,” he has said before.

That makes the plan more realistic than before. One NLS race, eight clean laps, and the door opens to the 24 Hours.

There is one scheduling challenge remaining. The next NLS race, the 6h ADAC Ruhr-Pokal Race on 1 August, can be ruled out, as it clashes with the GTWC Sprint Cup race at Magny-Cours the same weekend. The second option is still up in the air: on 12 and 13 September, the NLS features a double-header weekend consisting of the Reinoldus Endurance Race and the Barbarossa Prize, both featuring a four-hour race distance. That September window could be his best shot.

Rossi, Norris and a Le Mans dream that keeps growing

The Nürburgring is not the only big event on Rossi’s radar. Fresh from the Goodwood Festival of Speed, another headline has been doing the rounds. Lando Norris has shared his hopes of teaming up with his childhood hero and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi for a 24 Hours of Le Mans campaign in the future. The 2025 Formula 1 champion, famously a huge fan of the nine-time grand prix motorcycle world champion, joined Rossi at the Goodwood Festival of Speed on Friday via their mutual sponsor, Monster Energy. Appearing together on the famous balcony of Goodwood House, the pair addressed the possibility of joining forces in the future.

Norris, who has long described Rossi as one of his childhood heroes, immediately backed the idea when it was raised during the official Goodwood broadcast. For now, Norris admitted Formula 1’s packed calendar leaves little room for extra racing commitments. But the dream is alive. McLaren are returning to the top class of prototype endurance racing with a factory hypercar entry at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in 2027.

Talks with BMW, and a busy GT World Challenge calendar

The permit is the next logical step. Once he holds that permit, a full entry in the 2027 Nürburgring 24 Hours becomes possible. In 2026, Rossi returned full-time to GTWC Europe after spending two seasons competing in the World Endurance Championship. Free from a global WEC schedule, the father of two can now fully focus on select blue-riband events.

For a full picture of how BMW has been performing in endurance racing this season, check out our recent coverage. And if you want to stay across all the latest motorsport action, follow the standings and results right here on rnt-motorsports.com.