Max Verstappen hits back at Mercedes driver trying to tame his glorious GT3 run
Max Verstappen fired back at Maro Engel after the Mercedes driver downplayed his performance at the Nürburgring circuit. The Dutch driver was involved in a test at the iconic German circuit with his GT3 team.
The Red Bull Racing star, who drove for his team verstappen.com at the Nordschleife under the pseudonym Franz Hermann, reportedly set a lap record time of 7m 48s. In what was his debut at the famed circuit, Verstappen eclipsed the existing GT3 lap record of 7m 49.578s set by Norwegian Christian Krognes.
However, while several reactions have continued to trail the four-time Formula 1 champion’s impressive outing at the Nurburgring, Engel appeared less impressed with the performance of the Dutchman.
Sharing a post on his X (formerly Twitter) account, the seasoned Mercedes Factory driver stressed that Max Verstappen’s achievement should be viewed with caution. According to the GT3 veteran, the Red Bull star’s performance could be more down to other factors and machinery than pure driving mastery.
“To the topic of the moment. Few facts to Franz Hermann GT3 Nordschleife test: car was run in DTM spec BoP (less weight, more power, lower ride height than NLS BoP). Laptime: 7:48. Still impressive for a first visit to the Green Hell. Would be cool to see Franz compete! 😄,” he wrote.
Max Verstappen was quick to respond. Replying to the social media post, he said:
“False. Don’t spread things when you don’t know how the car was set up and our engine settings. Why would I join an NLS track day with the wrong BOP. Have a good one tomorrow 👍”
Verstappen, aside from his prowess in single-seater racing, is known for his love of GT and endurance racing. The 27-year-old often participates in virtual endurance events with his team. Whether Verstappen will eventually make a career crossover to the world of endurance racing remains to be seen.
Formula 1 teases Max Verstappen with Franz Hermann post
Formula 1's official page playfully teased Max Verstappen following his outing at the GT3 testing held at the Nürburgring circuit. The four-time F1 champion attracted the spotlight after participating in a test with his team.
The Dutch driver raced at the German track under the pseudonym Franz Hermann — a name that has continued to stir conversation within the F1 circle. Formula 1’s official page wasn’t going to be left out of the fun, dubbing Max Verstappen as Franz Hermann when it posted the timing sheet from the first practice session of the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix.
The racing series shared the overall results from the session on its X account listing Verstappen as Franz Hermann and accompanying it with the caption:
“FP1 CLASSIFICATION: Piastri leads a McLaren 1-2, Hermann seventh on debut.”
Max Verstappen, in his interaction with the media, explained the reason behind choosing the name Franz Hermann for his GT3 test. Sharing his thoughts via Motorsport.com during the ongoing Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, he revealed he was required to use a pseudonym to attract less media attention.
“They asked me for a fake name, so I said, ‘Let’s make it as German as we can.’ Then you’re not on the entry list. Otherwise, people would wake up at 8 a.m. knowing that my name is on it. I knew that once I was there, people would realise. It's normal. But at least I wasn’t on the entry list. So at least at 8, 9 a.m., it was pretty calm.”
While Max Verstappen carries an inherent passion for endurance racing, his focus now shifts back to Formula 1 and the race in Imola. The 27-year-old, who currently sits third in the Drivers’ Championship, aims to close the gap to McLaren’s Oscar Piastri as he eyes his fifth consecutive title.