Max Verstappen behind the wheel of a Ferrari at Mugello
Max Verstappen took the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GT3 at the Mugello circuit. The Red Bull driver did it as a favor to his manager's son. He was there to mentor Thierry Vermeulen, a GT driver.
While he was enjoying his free time between the Sao Paulo and Las Vegas Grand Prix, Max Verstappen went to offer his help to Thierry Vermeulen, a GT driver and son of Raymond Vermeulen, his agent. Thierry is active in the sports car racing scene, having participated in the 2023 DTM and GT World Challenge Sprint campaigns with the Swiss team Emil Frey Racing.
The Dutchman completed laps in a Ferrari 296 GT3 to provide the young driver with the necessary feedback. Max was able to give him some good advice after a few laps, said Raymond Vermeulen to Swiss magazine Blick.
However, he prefers to emphasize his son’s intentions for his career and does not want a link to be made between Verstappen’s help and a future for Thierry in F1. « Formula 1 is not a goal for us. I know the paths leading to the top, and the places there are far too limited. There are other interesting racing series », said Raymond.
“I am happy to help Thierry,” declared the three-time world champion. “We are like a big family, and I am also a fan of GT and racing simulations. In fact, it is not the first time we have seen the Red Bull driver behind the wheel of a vehicle of this caliber.”
Verstappen strongly hinted that he would explore racing series outside of Formula 1 once his Red Bull contract expires after 2028. Red Bull boss, Helmut Marko, has no doubt about the future of his protege outside of Formula 1. He even predicts that Max will have his own GT racing team in the future. One day, Max will establish his own GT team. He is a true racer.
