At the request of the Deutscher Motor Sport Bund, Verstappen had to run his Ferrari GT3 test at the 'Green Hell' under a pseudonym, which the Dutchman wanted to go full send on the Germanic feel with it, hence Franz Hermann.

Ricciardo, gave the story his usual comedic spin as he took to social media to reveal Franz Hermann's brother, Frank, a character of the Australian's creation.

Despite having a somewhat intense relationship and rivalry whilst being teammates at Red Bull Racing, as the Dutchman cemented himself at the Austrian team, both drivers have always had a relationship based on appreciation of each other.

Verstappen has stated to holding Ricciardo in high steem not only on track but also away from the racing circuits with the pair getting together for a game of paddle when the F1 circus rolled into Melbourne for the opening race of the 2025 season.