Verstappen driver stuns with fearless kerb launch in dramatic four-wide fight

The Frenchman competed last weekend at Paul Ricard alongside team-mates Daniel Juncadella and Chris Lulham with the Mercedes-AMG Team, ultimately finishing P9 overall.

What really caught the eye — and quickly went viral on social media — was a spectacular moment on track, as the Frenchman charged onto the Mistral Straight fighting for second place through lapped traffic, launching over the kerb at full speed.

The move came against Maxime Martin, although Gounon later had to give the position back to Porsche’s Thomas Preining.

The focus quickly shifted away from the result as it became clear he had been battling food poisoning before getting in the car, pushing through despite being in a severely weakened condition. His stint took a heavy toll, with the Verstappen.com Racing driver later spending several hours under medical supervision at the circuit.

The latest update from Mercedes confirms that Gounon is now recovering and has already headed to Austria, where he is scheduled to take part in a DTM test on Tuesday. He is set to be back behind the wheel at the Red Bull Ring, once again driving for the German manufacturer.