Max Verstappen may be preparing to enter his sidequest racing era because the four-time Formula 1 champ was caught testing a Ferrari—the Dutchman even tried to be discreet by using a pseudonym. As if that was going to work.
Like a true motorsports glutton, new dad/old racer Verstappen spent his two-week break from F1 at the Nürburgring behind the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GT3 car. Although Verstappen conducted similar vehicle testing last year, this time he pretended to be someone else, using the alias “Franz Hermann.”
According to Motorsport.com, the holiday hot laps at the Ring weren’t a surprise. Verstappen owns the eponymous Verstappen.com race team, which competes in the GT World Challenge. The European racing series will find itself at the Nürburgring in late August. Verstappen’s recent non-F1 excursion, however, was part of the test and setup sessions for the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie club racing.
The championship racer has regularly communicated that his interests extend beyond F1, especially after one of his most important wins yet: being a first-time dad.
“I come here, do the best I can, go home, do other stuff, then go to the next race, try to do the best I can and go home again,” Verstappen told ESPN earlier this month.
“Like, true experience over the years, you know what to do and what not to do,” he added. “And just divide your energy also, a bit into other things … Because at the end of the day, Formula 1 is not your whole life. It’s just [a] small part.”
So, what does Verstappen’s GT test day in Germany mean? Absolutely nothing and possibly everything. Which translates to Red Bull boss Christian Horner essentially responding with, “No big deal.” And the story didn’t change even after Verstappen decided to come clean about his GT side hustle.
“Honestly, Max is his own man,” Horner said during an interview with Goodwood Road & Racing. “He’s got interests outside of Formula 1. He enjoys driving GT cars, simulators, LMP cars. He’s very old school in many respects in that he just wants to drive, and some of the noise and circus around Formula 1 doesn’t sit comfortably with him.”
After the first six races of 24 this F1 season, Verstappen currently sits in third place, but it’s in no way anyone’s championship to win or lose. At least not yet. Following last weekend’s Miami Grand Prix, Verstappen is 32 points behind leader Oscar Piastri and 16 points behind Lando Norris. There’s still plenty of racing left, and even if not, Verstappen probably wouldn’t care as much as we think regarding his place in the standings.
“[Max is] unique in that sense that Formula 1 doesn’t define him,” said Horner. “He’s doing it because he enjoys and loves it, and as soon as that enjoyment and love dips, he will go and do something else.” Whether that something else is a seat in a Ferrari GT3 car or any other racing series is anyone’s guess, except Verstappen’s.
