After a tough Miami GP, Verstappen doubts Red Bull’s upgrade while quietly testing a Ferrari GT3 at Nürburgring under a hidden identity.
Max Verstappen isn’t convinced Red Bull’s latest upgrade is delivering real results, at least not yet.
The team introduced a new floor on his car at the Miami Grand Prix, but the reigning champion remains skeptical about its true impact, especially after being outpaced by McLaren.
The floor update, fitted only to Verstappen’s car, is part of a broader development package set to arrive at Imola.
Despite limited time, just one practice session, Verstappen still managed to grab pole position in Miami. But he’s not reading too much into it.
“Miami is always a tricky place to evaluate updates. Grip levels are strange, and the layout is just unusual,” Verstappen said. “We’ll learn more at Imola.”
Red Bull made minor setup tweaks ahead of qualifying, which helped improve the car’s behavior. Still, Verstappen admitted it’s not yet where the team wants to be.
“We were expecting Miami to be tough, lots of slow corners, aggressive kerbs. That’s not our strength. So qualifying went better than we thought.”
However, despite starting from pole, Verstappen couldn’t hold off McLaren.
Both Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri surged ahead, with Norris taking the win and McLaren securing a dominant 1–2 finish. The fact that Verstappen finished 40 seconds behind raised serious questions.
“With that kind of gap, no, it’s not effective,” Verstappen admitted. “But it’s hard to judge. We’re still working on it.”
He believes the new floor showed slight improvement in one specific area, but emphasized that it’s just one piece of a larger puzzle.
“This is only the first step. The full upgrade package is coming in Imola, that’s when we’ll really see if it works.”
Verstappen: Closing the Gap to McLaren “Not That Simple”
Max Verstappen has acknowledged that McLaren’s edge in recent races comes down to one crucial factor, tire management. And according to the four-time world champion, it’s making a big difference, especially over long runs.
“They’re just better during the races,” Verstappen said. “We saw it clearly with the intermediate tires in the Sprint race. When the tires start to overheat, they handle it much better. So clearly, the rest of us are doing something wrong, except for McLaren.”
That advantage was obvious in Miami, where McLaren dominated the field. “They were miles ahead of us, just way faster than everyone else, especially on a track with high thermal degradation. They have a huge advantage, no doubt about it.”
Asked what exactly McLaren is doing right, Verstappen admitted even Red Bull doesn’t have a clear answer. “If we knew, we’d already have fixed it. But it’s not that simple.”
He praised the McLaren MCL39 not just for its tire management, but also for its overall performance. “Sure, their car is just strong in general, but what really stands out is how well they manage their tires. It’s impressive.”
Could Red Bull solve the issue by improving their car’s balance? Verstappen believes it would help, but only to a point. “Yes, that would make things better, but we’d still struggle with overheating.”
With McLaren now setting the pace, Verstappen was asked whether he can still take the fight to drivers like Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. He pointed to the upcoming tracks as potential opportunities, not because Red Bull will be faster, but because overtaking might be harder.
“I’m looking forward to some of the next circuits, the ones I enjoy. But honestly, with the gap they have right now, we don’t have many chances.”
“Maybe at tracks where overtaking is tough, we can do something. Monaco hasn’t been great for us in the past, but sometimes qualifying there can be a lottery. That might be our best shot during the next triple-header.”
Verstappen’s Secret Ferrari Test Hints at Endurance Plans
Under the alias Franz Hermann, Max Verstappen quietly tested a Ferrari GT3 at Nürburgring, fueling talk of a post-F1 future.
After finishing a distant fourth at the Miami Grand Prix, Max Verstappen made a surprise move.
The reigning Formula 1 world champion flew to Europe and climbed into the cockpit of a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the Nürburgring for an official test session.
The test took place ahead of the third round of the Nürburgring Endurance Series (NLS), a championship dedicated to GT3 cars.
Although Verstappen has his own team competing in GT World Challenge, he doesn’t race in the series himself.
Still, he’s no stranger to GT3 machinery, having completed several private tests over the years.
This time was different. The test was public, though Verstappen did his best to keep it under wraps.
The Ferrari ran under the pseudonym “Franz Hermann” in an effort to avoid attention. Verstappen brought his own security staff to the track, and photographers were not allowed inside the garage.
His reason was simple. He wanted to enjoy a few quiet laps around the legendary Nürburgring without the noise of the spotlight.
Verstappen has long expressed interest in endurance racing once his F1 career winds down. He regularly competes in virtual endurance events with Team Redline on iRacing.
Despite the secrecy, word still got out. A photo surfaced online showing Verstappen’s Ferrari on the back of a recovery truck. Whether it was a mechanical issue or a minor incident on the demanding Nordschleife circuit remains unclear. For now, it’s all speculation.
What is certain is that Verstappen is serious about endurance racing. Whether it’s behind the scenes or behind a false name, he’s already laying the groundwork for life after Formula 1.
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