Max Verstappen in hot water over 'very dangerous' decision during week off
Max Verstappen has been questioned ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
Former Williams and Toyota F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has called out Max Verstappen’s ‘dangerous’ decision to complete a secret test at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit during his week off ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix. Verstappen drove the Ferrari 296 GT3 car at the iconic circuit, racing under the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’ in an official Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) test and set-up session.
The four-time world champion was helping Emil Frey Racing, with whom he has previously tested GT3 machinery. The Red Bull F1 star reportedly set blistering lap times behind the wheel of his Verstappen-com liveried GT3 machine, although his fun on the Nordschleife did not come without risk. The circuit is notorious as one of the most challenging and dangerous in global motorsport.
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The historic track was the location for the infamous 1976 German Grand Prix, where Niki Lauda attempted to orchestrate a boycott of the event on safety grounds, before suffering a fiery crash in a rain-affected race that left him with life-changing injuries. In 2025, the track is much safer, but still poses a significant risk.
Discussing Verstappen’s Nurburgring appearance on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher said: “If I had been the team principal, I'd have asked Verstappen if he's still all there.
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“To do something like that on the Nordschleife of all places is not very smart. I know, for many, it's a viewpoint they don't want to hear, but I find the Nordschleife incredibly dangerous. That's just the way it is, especially at this level and at these speeds.”
Schumacher continued: “I then think back to when DTM races were banned here because those cars were going too fast, but today's GT3 cars are also insanely fast and everything happens neck-and-neck. Something happens faster than you think. Doing this somewhere else, okay, but for most people the Nordschleife still represents the biggest challenge.”
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In Imola this weekend, Verstappen’s attention will return to his World Championship fight with Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The 27-year-old currently trails McLaren’s Australian phenom by 32 points, although a significant upgrade package is intended to bring Red Bull back into the fight on Sunday.
"The team has been working really hard, and we will need to hit the ground running,” Verstappen explained heading into the weekend. “Imola is a really old school and iconic track that is really technical, and I always enjoy racing here. It is difficult to overtake, so qualifying will be key here."
