Max Verstappen has revealed the backstory behind his secret ploy last week to test a GT3 Ferrari 296 at the Nürburgring’s Nordschleife under the unassuming alias ‘Franz Hermann’, the world’s most low-key lap record chaser.
So, why the undercover routine? Well, as Max himself put it, he wasn’t exactly keen on a dawn mob of fans and photographers crashing his GT3 party.
But with a helmet and suit screaming “Max Verstappen” and a car decked out in Verstappen.com livery, his disguise was about as subtle as a neon sign in a blackout.
“Let’s make it as German as we can”
After setting what is believed to be a blistering 7:47 lap time – nearly three seconds faster than the official GT3 record – the intrigue really started building.
But the real mystery wasn’t the time. It was the name “Franz Hermann,” displayed on the car's entry sheet like a character from a motorsport-themed spy movie.
“They asked me for a fake name, so I said let’s make it as German as we can,” Verstappen revealed on Thursday at Imola, grinning as reporters tried to contain their amusement.
©Verstappen.com/David Klopman
Pressed on the logic behind the disguise, Verstappen said it was all about avoiding the early-morning fanfare that tends to follow him like a DRS train.
“Because then you’re not on the entry list,” he added. “Otherwise, people rock up at 8am knowing that my name is on the entry list.
“I knew that once I was there that people would realise, it’s normal, but at least I wasn’t on the entry list name.
“So at least at 8, 9am, it was pretty calm.”
Having Fun and Learning the Track
Max’s attempt at anonymity was about as successful as hiding an elephant in a phone booth.
Despite his security team guarding the Emil Frey Racing garage like it was Fort Knox and barring photographers from getting too close, his trademark helmet and race suit gave him away faster than you can say “Nordschleife.”
Read also: Verstappen goes undercover for secret Nordschleife Ferrari testSocial media lit up with fans spotting the “Franz Hermann” Ferrari, complete with the Dutch flag and Verstappen.com livery, and by midday, the secret was out.
“For me, I’m not there to show that I can break a lap record or whatever record,” he explained. “I was just having fun and learning the track together with the team, 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.”
©RedBull
Verstappen’s day job may be conquering Formula 1 circuits, but he’s clearly putting in the groundwork for a post-F1 career in endurance racing, which he confirmed.
“Yeah, I would like to do that in the future,” he said. “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.”
He’s also currently in talks to secure the racing permit required to take on the Nordschleife’s crown jewel – the 24 Hours of Nürburgring.
Russell Ready to Follow Suit
While Franz Hermann has faded back into the shadows, other F1 drivers, including George Russell, found the whole situation amusing, with the Mercedes charger expressing his own desire to participate in more racing outside of F1, a conversation he's already had with Mercedes Team Principal, Toto Wolff.
“We’ve spoken about it numerous times, to be honest, and I’d love to,” Russell said.
“I’d really want to shuffle my schedule around a little bit to allow me to do more driving, because I love driving.
“I did a lot of driving with Nordschleife on iRacing over the winter, and I want to get more involved in things like that.
“But it’s very challenging when you’ve got so much sponsor commitment outside of the racing, the travel, the simulated days, the debriefing with the team.
“It helps when you’ve got your own private jet, so you get to places a little bit quicker.
“But, yeah, definitely we’ll be doing that at some point.”
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