Max Verstappen left a driver stunned with a “special” trick that he and fellow drivers had never seen in a GT3 car.
Verstappen has not been enjoying the current Formula One season, with the four-time world champion ninth in the drivers’ rankings and without a single podium in three Grands Prix.
The Dutchman has been vocal about his frustration over the new cars and regulations brought in, with Verstappen even admitting considering retirement.
However, Verstappen did enjoy huge success in his first Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) last month.
Competing in a #3 Winward Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 car at the Nurburgring Nordschleife, Verstappen and teammates Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon finished first and crossed the finishing line 56 seconds ahead of rivals.
The trio were later disqualified after it was uncovered they had used seven sets of tires when the maximum is six.
Verstappen has made a huge impression in endurance racing. Image: Getty
But Verstappen made a big impression in his debut, managing to stay close to Christopher Haase’s Audi R8 LMS GT3 Evo II in the dirty air.
Juncadella revealed that Verstappen was able to do so courtesy of a “nice trick” which he “would have never thought of myself” and would not disclose fully.
“It was impressive to see how well he understood how to stay that close to Christopher. It was his first time ever having to race like that in a GT3 car on this track”, he told Motorsport.com Germany.
“He actually did something quite special that we talked about after the race. It’s something I would have never thought of myself—and I’ve been driving GT cars for a long time.”
“I’m not going to tell you what it is as I’d rather keep that to myself. It’s a nice trick he found out. Maybe I’ll tell you someday.”
Juncadella hailed Verstappen’s “sheer confidence” and believes his vast virtual experience with sim racing “gives him an edge”.
The cancellation of the Bahrain Grand Prix because of the United States and Iran conflict means Verstappen is able to return to Nordschleife for the third round of NLS on April 11.
He is then pencilled in to make his debut in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, which takes place in May and follows qualifying on 18 and 19 April.
His exploits are still supported by Red Bull as they have provided a livery for his Mercedes AMG-GT3 car.
The race has been a “bucket list” item for Verstappen, who has made no secret of his love for endurance racing. Verstappen’s first GT3 event came in September when he won in the Nurburgring Endurance Series.
