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Red Bull’s team boss, Christian Horner, says that Max Verstappen is allowed to compete in other types of racing, but his main job remains Formula 1. Last week, Verstappen tested a Ferrari 296 GT3 car at the famous Nürburgring Nordschleife circuit.
During the test, he used the fake name “Franz Hermann” to keep his identity hidden. Reports say Verstappen may have set a new lap record for a GT3 car on the 13-mile track.
Horner told Sky Sports that Verstappen has a real love for racing in any car—whether it’s sim racing, GT cars, or Formula 1. Verstappen even runs his own GT team.
Red Bull was aware of his Nürburgring plan ahead of time and Horner said that it made Verstappen very happy to race there. However, Horner was clear that Verstappen would not be allowed to skip a Formula 1 race to take part in another series, making F1 the top priority.
In earlier decades, it was common for F1 drivers to take on extra events in different racing series. For example, Nico Hulkenberg won the Le Mans 24 Hours in 2015, and Fernando Alonso was allowed to miss the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix to compete in the Indy 500.
But Horner says times are different for Verstappen, who is in the middle of a tight championship battle. “He won’t miss a race,” said Horner, “We’ve always been a bit more relaxed than other teams, but F1 is the focus.”
Verstappen’s secret Nürburgring test brought attention from fans and teams, especially since he was driving a Ferrari as a Red Bull star. The situation could become more complicated next year when Ford joins Red Bull as its technical partner.
Ford might be unhappy if their F1 driver is seen in a rival car on another major stage, which could affect Verstappen’s future side-projects.
Right now, Verstappen sits third in the championship standings after the Miami Grand Prix, trailing leader Oscar Piastri by 32 points. Red Bull, which started the 2025 season strongly, now finds itself 141 points behind McLaren in the team battle.
Verstappen is working to catch up, spending time at the Red Bull factory on the simulator and preparing for the next race at Imola. He says the famous Italian track is tough to pass on, making qualifying even more important. The difficulty of qualifying at famous tracks is well-recognized in motorsport circles.
Red Bull hopes their newest car upgrades will help close the gap, but Verstappen is not expecting sudden big gains. The team’s efforts are ongoing and Verstappen sees every improvement as a step in the right direction.
As the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix approaches, fans are watching to see if Verstappen can turn things around in the title fight and if his passion for racing outside F1 continues to be a talking point in the paddock.
Daniel Miller reports on Formula 1 Grand Prix weekends with race-day analysis, team-radio highlights, and point-standings updates. He explains power-unit upgrades, aerodynamic developments, and driver rivalries in straightforward, SEO-friendly language for a global F1 audience.