Christian Horner has reaffirmed Red Bull’s stance on driver flexibility after Max Verstappen completed a secret test in a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife.
While Horner praised the Dutchman’s versatility and passion for racing after his Nurburgring test, but stressed that Verstappen’s focus must remain firmly on Formula 1. Verstappen participated in an official Nurburgring Endurance Series test using the alias “Franz Hermann”, driving a car from Emil Frey Racing.
His appearance — and the rumoured lap record he set — drew considerable attention, especially given his current standing as a four-time world champion leading Red Bull’s 2025 title defence.
“He’s so versatile and he’s so passionate about all forms of racing: sim racing, GT racing – he has his own GT team, effectively,” Horner told Sky Sports at the 2025 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.
“He was very keen to run at the Nürburgring. It’s something we’ve known about for quite some time. He went there and did an incredible job and really enjoyed himself.”
Red Bull supportive, but F1 remains the priority
Verstappen’s test in a Ferrari-powered GT3 machine added another chapter to his growing interest in racing beyond Formula 1. But Horner made it clear that while Red Bull supports this passion, it won’t come at the expense of Grand Prix commitments.
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“He’s not going to miss a race, that’s for sure,” Horner said. “The focus obviously has to be here on the day job. But I think it’s great that he’s so versatile.
“As Red Bull, we’ve always been slightly more relaxed than perhaps other teams in terms of the freedom that we’ve given our drivers.”
Horner’s comments reflect Red Bull’s relatively liberal approach to extracurricular racing. In the past, teams like McLaren allowed Fernando Alonso to miss the Monaco Grand Prix to race in the Indy 500, while Nico Hülkenberg won Le Mans with Porsche in 2015.
Yet Verstappen’s participation in a Ferrari-powered car — just a year before Ford becomes Red Bull’s engine partner — could become more controversial in the future.
Ford will enter the sport in 2026 as part of Red Bull Powertrains, and the optics of their lead driver racing rival hardware may prove problematic.
“It’s finding that compromise, finding that balance,” Horner added. “Obviously, the priority is here. But it’s great that he’s embracing all forms of motorsport.”
As long as Verstappen remains committed to Red Bull and continues to deliver on the F1 circuit, he appears to have the team’s blessing to explore his broader racing ambitions.
But Horner has drawn a clear boundary: there will be no skipping Grand Prix, no matter how enticing other challenges may be.
