Max Verstappen shatters his own Nordschleife track record

Max Verstappen set an incredibly quick time during Friday testing
at the Nordschleife ahead of his official GT3 debut, breaking his
own record. The Red Bull driver was back in action with the Ferrari
296 GT3, the same machine he used several months ago under the
pseudonym "Franz Hermann" when he recorded a 7m 48 lap. Now,
according to paddock sources, Verstappen improved on that benchmark
by three seconds, with reports of a 7m 45 effort from the German
circuit – a new GT3 lap record. While these times remain unverified
due to the absence of official timing equipment during the test
session, the manually recorded figures suggest the Dutchman broke
his own record. The reported improvement builds on Verstappen's
previous Nordschleife running. That initial 7m 48 lap, achieved
whilst racing incognito, had demonstrated his potential in the GT3
category before his official entry. Friday's track time provided
valuable additional mileage ahead of Saturday's competitive
running, allowing Verstappen to continue familiarising himself with
the 296 GT3 around the 25-kilometre circuit. The test session
served as final preparation for his debut, with Verstappen's
experience making him a contender despite being new to GT3
competition. Based on Friday's running, Verstappen's transition
from Formula 1 to GT3 competition continues to show progress ahead
of Saturday's proceedings.