Was Verstappen’s Nordschleife test too risky?

Might 14 (GMM) Crimson Bull’s bosses could also be sad that Max Verstappen put in a reportedly record-breaking effort across the fabled Nordschleife format on the Nurburgring final week.

That’s the view of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, after the quadruple world champion took half in a check session of the Nurburgring Langstrecken collection (NLS) in a Ferrari 296 GT3 – with the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’ on the automobile.

Onboard footage from different vehicles confirmed the Verstappen.com Racing-branded automobile overtaking at excessive pace, amid experiences the 27-year-old went on to set a greatest laptime of seven.47 – barely sooner than the official GT3 lap file.

Schumacher, nevertheless, thinks Verstappen went even sooner than that.

“I believe he did a 7.35,” the German informed Sky Deutschland. “That’s a extremely prime time. It’s actually excellent.”

One other former F1 driver, Timo Glock, added: “What I heard is that the primary or second lap was already on the prime degree. He can have spent a number of time within the simulator, but it surely proves his expertise as soon as once more and the way nicely he can regulate to a automobile.”

It’s reported that Verstappen might take a sabbatical subsequent yr to watch F1’s all-new laws and maybe even race in GT3 classes – with the Nordschleife outing working him in direction of the necessary particular license.

“I can’t think about that,” Schumacher stated.

“He has his personal GT3 workforce already, however he additionally nonetheless has an excessive amount of enjoyable in Components 1 to only go away. Take a look at how rapidly he flew to Miami though he had simply change into a father.

“That proves that he nonetheless likes doing it.”

What is evident, Schumacher thinks, is that Verstappen’s F1 bosses is not going to be notably joyful concerning the Nordschleife outing. “Definitely if I used to be Max’s workforce boss, I wouldn’t discover it that useful to drive on the Nordschleife.

“I do know many individuals don’t like to listen to it, however I discover it extremely harmful, particularly while you’re driving at such a excessive pace. However after all we all know that Max can drive higher than most others.”

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