Verstappen Reveals ‘Franz Hermann’ Origins and Record Claim

Max Verstappen has finally spilled the beans on his mysterious alter ego, Franz Hermann, and the truth behind those eye-popping laps at the Nurburgring Nordschleife earlier this year.

The Red Bull driver, still leading the 2025 Formula 1 standings ahead of Lando Norris at McLaren, took a break from the championship grind in May to test a GT3 car at the iconic German track. To keep things low-key, he signed in under the fake name Franz Hermann—a nod to his Dutch-German roots and a cheeky blend of common names from both sides.

“It was just a fun way to stay under the radar,” Verstappen said in a recent chat with reporters at Spa-Francorchamps, where he clinched the sprint race last weekend despite the ongoing team shake-up at Red Bull following Christian Horner’s departure. “Franz for the German side, Hermann because it sounds properly old-school. No big secret.”

Rumors flew that Verstappen shattered the GT3 lap record during the session, with whispers of times dipping under seven minutes on the brutal 20.8km loop. But the four-time world champion played it down, admitting he pushed hard but didn’t officially claim any records.

“I did some quick laps, yeah—around 6:55 on a good run,” he revealed, citing data from the test. “It felt amazing, but it wasn’t about setting records. The track’s a beast, and driving incognito let me focus without the hype.”

Fellow drivers who spotted him on track were stunned, with one anonymous racer telling media: “He shows up out of nowhere, nails a blistering time, and vanishes. Classic Max.”

Verstappen’s detour into GT3 testing came amid a packed F1 calendar, where he’s fending off challenges from Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc and Mercedes’ new signing Andrea Kimi Antonelli. With the season heating up, this side story adds another layer to the Dutchman’s relentless drive—on and off the F1 grid.