Sim Racing will be recognized for Nordschleife license

We said it many times, this is not just a game, this is a tool. Some brilliant racing drivers are aware of this and utilize it accordingly, while those who do not use it waste a considerable amount of time and money.

I know many narrow-minded racing enthusiasts who deny the validity, but at least this news gives us a little hope about what we love. Below you can read an extract of Fanatec’s Blog about it.

Sim racing has taken another stride toward full recognition within real-world motorsport. The recent decision by Germany’s motorsport federation to accept virtual competition toward the “DSMB Permit Nordschleife” marks a significant moment for the entire industry. It reflects a broader shift that Fanatec has championed for many years, long before official bodies began to acknowledge the value of structured virtual racing.

A New Path Toward the Nordschleife

Under the revised system, drivers who complete three of the four winter rounds in the Digital Nürburgring Langstrecken Serie without penalties can now use those results when applying for a Permit B license. At the same time, the route to Permit A has been eased. This lowers barriers for many aspiring competitors and places sim racing firmly on the same developmental path as more traditional entry points.

Max Verstappen’s recent success in the 4-hour Nürburgring Endurance Series brought new attention to the topic of licenses, and winning the race with sim racer teammate Chris Lulham raised the credibility and respect for sim racing in front of a global audience.

And the official change:

For the DPN level B, candidates will now be able to count participation in official sim racing competitions of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS). This adjustment applies exclusively to Permit B.

For Permit A, which allows competing in faster cars including the SP9 GT3 class, the requirements are also being eased: instead of two results and 14 race laps, one result and eight laps in a Permit-B car will be sufficient in the future. Minimum driving time criterion (at least 20% of total race time) has been removed entirely.