Verstappen recently appeared at Spa-Francorchamps for a test in an Aston Martin GT3 car, and earlier he drove on the Nordschleife in a Ferrari 296 GT3 under the now-famous pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’. He did this alongside the Emil Frey team, which is competing in the DTM this season with two Ferraris. Verstappen did test laps with the team and was accompanied by his protégé Thierry Vermeulen, son of manager Raymond Vermeulen.

Vermeulen himself drives for Verstappen.com Racing, a project that offers young drivers — often from a sim racing background — the opportunity to move into racing real cars. The link with Emil Frey is logical: Verstappen.com supports the Swiss team racing in the DTM.

So, will Verstappen soon make a guest appearance in this class? “That's hard to say,” responds Vermeulen to Motorsport-Total.com. “He's not yet at the stage where he's really looking at racing classes or championships outside Formula 1. I also think he's really enjoying the longer stints in the GT world.”

Vermeulen emphasizes that Verstappen's priority clearly remains with Formula 1, but doesn't rule anything out. “The focus is clearly on his performances in F1. But who knows? He's still young.” For Vermeulen, it's especially great that Verstappen continues to engage with the GT world. “It's nice that he stays involved. We've had some test days over the years, including at the Nordschleife. And it's great to see that he enjoys it.”