Despite being a proven race driver, more than capable of handling extremely fast cars, the three-time champion Max Verstappen could not rent a $180,00 car in Portugal. The Mercedes-AMG GT Coupe, which tops out at 195 mph, was just out of reach for the Dutch superstar, as he was 4 years too young. The irony? Verstappen, accustomed to maneuvering cutting-edge F1 cars at speeds well over 200 mph, was not allowed to drive the car he desired, by rental company Sixt.

The company stated that the three-time world champion had to be 30 years old before he was eligible to rent one of the GT coupes for insurance reasons. The GT, being an impressive road car, is also a part of Lewis Hamilton‘s incredible collection. In fact the British World Champion even took his GT out for some donuts a little over a couple of months ago. Unfortunately, the Red Bull driver was denied the same privilege.

Max Verstappen was denied a rental car in Portugal

The Mercedes-AMG GT coupe is an incredible road car. It uses Mercedes’ twin-turbo 4.0-liter V-8 powerplant and a new nine-speed automatic transmission, capable of going 0-60 in just three seconds. The three-time world champion had this car in mind when he planned to travel to Portugal for a fun racing trip.

Traveling with a party of 20, the Dutch sensation had to settle for something far less spectacular – a BMW 5 series. A source close to Max Verstappen stated, “When they got to the airport, Max was shocked when he was told he wasn’t allowed to drive the Mercedes he wanted. He’s a seasoned F1 driver who’s used to handling powerful cars, so it’s quite astonishing to think he wasn’t allowed to get behind the wheel of this one — but those are the rules, so he abided by them.”

The rental company, Sixt, later revealed as reported by The Sun, that Max Verstappen wasn’t able to drive the car for insurance reasons. “The employees of our franchise partner in Portugal have only followed the rules that arise for insurance reasons. In order to find a customer-friendly solution on site, Mr. Verstappen was provided with another premium vehicle.”

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However, later, the company retracted its position, creating a bit of confusion among the fans.

Sixt goes back on Max Verstappen’s ban days later

While Max Verstappen had to satisfy himself with a BMW 5 series, he was ready to accept that the rules are there for a reason. Special treatment would have only backfired on the company, so he didn’t push for the Mercedes AMG GT Coupe.

However, days after this ban on entry until he was 30 years old, a company spokesperson later reversed the decision. Citing “special circumstances,” he stated, “There can be special circumstances that justify a deviation from rules. This is such a case. We apologize to Mr. Verstappen. He can rent the car he wants from us anytime. There is of course no doubt at all about his driving skills and experience with powerful cars.”

Fans took it as the company selectively choosing to apply rules, and that it was a slippery slope. If it didn’t apply to everyone, how would the company determine who deserves and who doesn’t deserve to drive a GT-Coupe?

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What do you think of this bizarre situation? Should the company just have upheld the rule no matter what, instead of reversing its decisions retrospectively? Let us know in the comments section below.