Verstappen confirms breaking Nurburgring GT3 lap record during recent test

Verstappen drove an Emil Frey Racing Ferrari 296 GT3 car at the Nurburgring under the pseudonym of "Franz Hermann" as he tried to enjoy some privacy.

The four-time Formula 1 champion showed the extent of his talent as he was up to speed out of the box and managed to break the lap record in a GT3 car, a 7m49.578s, set by Norwegian racer Christian Krognes in an NLS GT3.

Revealing some details of the test, especially why he did not run under his own name, Verstappen said: "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," he added. "Otherwise people woke up at 8am knowing that my name is on it; I knew that once I was there that people would realize. It's normal. But at least I wasn't on the entry list. So at least at 8, 9am it was pretty calm."

As for the track record: "I was [faster than the NLS GT3 lap record], but I'm not there to show that I can break a lap record or whatever record. I was just having fun and learning the track together with the team."

The Dutchman insisted the test was not about showing his speed as much as helping Emil Frey prepare for a potential participation in the Nurburgring 24 Hours in the future.

He explained: "With Emil Frey as well, they weren't there before, so for them also the dream is to do 24 hours there.

"We just had a good time getting up to speed; we were lucky with the conditions as well. It was really nice and sunny. So that's great if you can have that.

"I would like to do that in the future. That's why I'm doing all these things to prepare a bit, get a bit of experience. So, you don't need to do that in the future.

"It's my passion. I'm running this year also with the GT3 team, I want to gather also more information for myself. And at the end of the day, it's my private time," Verstappen maintained.

However, the Red Bull ace may not have the same level of fun in this weekend's Emilia Romagna Grand Prix despite the team having some more upgrades in addition to the new floor bolted on the RB21 in the Miami Grand Prix.

Verstappen claimed Red Bull Racing did not find the silver bullet yet and the latest upgrades planned for the race in Imola will not deliver the magic given how he has been playing catch-up with McLaren drivers Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri since the start of the 2025 Formula 1 season, as the Milton Keynes have struggled to build a competitive car.

Despite the new floor in Miami and while he started from pole, Verstappen was fourth at the chequered flag, almost 40 seconds behind race winner Piastri.

Heading into this weekend at Imola, Verstappen insisted the latest new bits for his RB21 are not game changers, and he told the media: "I mean, we have been constantly upgrading the car, trying to find little bits of performance.

"This track is not suddenly where the magic happens, but of course we would like to be a little bit faster. At the moment, I don’t know how much that’s going to bring us, to be honest," he maintained.

Earlier, in Red Bull's race preview, Verstappen revealed the preparation he went through for the weekend in Italy, which also marks the team's 400th grand prix in Formula 1.

"I have been back at the factory with the Team on the sim this week, which has been good," he said. "The Team has been working really hard and we will need to hit the ground running.

"Imola is a really old school and iconic track that is really technical and I always enjoy racing here. It is difficult to overtake so qualifying will be key here.

"Imola marks the Team's 400th race this weekend," he pointed out. "We have had a lot to be proud of over the years and smashed so many records, so it is great to be able to look at what Team has built and, of course, for us keep pushing to achieve more."

Verstappen is currently third in the Formula 1 drivers' championship, 32 points behind Piastri, who is in the lead. (Reporting by Agnes Carlier)