Max from Imola about the Nordschleife Test and updates on the RB21

Published on 15 May 2025 by Misha van der Kroon

Last Friday, Max Verstappen was at the Nordschleife, an iconic circuit in the German Ardennes, known by its nickname 'the Green Hell' for good reason. The circuit stretches 24.4 kilometres through green forests; it's a narrow and bumpy ribbon of asphalt that demands the utmost from drivers.

Max tested the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Verstappen.com Racing under the pseudonym “Franz Hermann.” He explains why: “I said, ‘let’s make the name sound as German as possible.’ We did that so I wouldn’t appear on the official entry list, because otherwise it would have drawn attention in advance. Of course, we knew that would happen the moment I showed up anyway. But at least it was still relatively quiet in the morning.”

Max continues: “It went well and I really enjoyed it. I’d never driven there in real life before, not even in a road car. Of course, I’ve spent a lot of time on it in the simulator, doing thousands of laps there. That helped. A few of the barriers and kerbstones were different, but I know the layout of the track well, so it was really about getting used to the grip levels, the conditions, and the new tarmac in certain sections.”

Max wasn’t just there for himself, as he explains: “I shared the car with Chris Lulham, who’s made the transition from sim racing to real-world racing. The test was also to get him up to speed, because we want to race the 24-hour event there in the future with the Verstappen.com Racing team. It was a good day.”

There’s no official timekeeping on a test day. Is it true that you were faster than the lap record for that car configuration and class?
“Yes, that’s true,” Max confirms, then quickly adds: “But I wasn’t there to show I could break a lap record. I was just having fun and learning the track together with the team from Emil Frey Racing, who run our Verstappen.com Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. We gained some valuable experience.”

Now on to Imola, which this weekend hosts the Grand Prix of Emilia-Romagna. It marks the 400th Grand Prix for Oracle Red Bull Racing. The circuit has a rich history, and many drivers, including Max, enjoy racing there because it’s a technical, old-school driver’s track.

This past Thursday, Max was still in the simulator at Red Bull Racing in Milton Keynes preparing. The team has brought some updates for the RB21. What are your expectations, Max? “We’re always working to improve the car to try and perform better. We hope to be faster, but we’ll have to wait and see how much it really gives us. I think it’s clear we want to take steps forward, and ideally already here. But when you look at how big the gap was in Miami, that’s not something you close with just one update.”

Contest Imola GP: win a by Max Verstappen signed Red Bull Racing 2025 cap!