F1 champion Max Verstappen uses fake name to go incognito driving for rival team in test session
MAX VERSTAPPEN went undercover and used a FAKE NAME to test out a Ferrari this week.
The Red Bull F1 star’s best attempts to remain icognito saw him take on the fake name of Franz Herman.
Verstappen tested a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the official session ahead of the third round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS).
The F1 world champion was running with the Emil Frey Racing team, who employ Thierry Vermeulen, son of Verstappen’s manager, Raymond.
The 27-year-old’s fake name was on display on the car along with the Dutch flag.
But it was clear to onlookers that Verstappen was behind the wheel as the car was decked out with his Verstappen.com livery.
The Dutchman also wore his own trademark F1 helmet and race suit that included his real name.
Verstappen also had security guards present during the session, while photographers were barred from inside the garage.
He is reportedly planning to get a Nordschleife permit, which would allow him to officially race around the iconic German circuit.
Verstappen said last year: “The Nurburgring Nordschleife is one of my absolute favourite race tracks, and I hope that in a few years, I can also compete here with a real GT3.”
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This is not the first time Verstappen has got behind the wheel of a GT3 car, as he fields his own team in the GT World Challenge.
The four-time F1 champion has made no secret of his goal to switch to endurance racing following the end of his F1 career.
Verstappen.com announced its racing programme earlier this year and it includes the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance championship with 24 Hours of Spa, in an Aston Martin Vantage.
He is under contract with Red Bull until the end of the 2028 campaign, but speculation over his future continues.
Verstappen will be back in F1 action at the Imola Grand Prix in Italy next weekend.
He finished in fourth place at the previous race in Miami, just days after becoming a dad for the first time.
Verstappen is currently third in the drivers’ championship, behind McLaren’s Oscar Pisatri and Lando Norris.
He has won the World Drivers’ Championship for four straight seasons between 2021 to 2024.