Was Verstappen's test at the Nordschleife overly dangerous?

      "That's a really impressive time."

      Red Bull's executives might not be pleased that Max Verstappen reportedly achieved a record-breaking performance on the iconic Nordschleife track at the Nurburgring last week. This is the opinion of former F1 driver Ralf Schumacher, after the four-time world champion participated in a test session for the Nurburgring Langstrecken series (NLS) in a Ferrari 296 GT3, under the alias 'Franz Hermann' on the vehicle. Footage from other cars displayed the Verstappen.com Racing-branded vehicle overtaking at high speeds, with reports indicating that the 27-year-old set a best lap time of 7:47, which is slightly quicker than the official GT3 lap record. However, Schumacher believes Verstappen's actual time was even better. "In fact, he did a 7:35," the German remarked to Sky Deutschland. "That’s a really top time. It’s truly remarkable." Another former F1 driver, Timo Glock, noted: "What I heard is that the first or second lap was already at an elite level. He must have devoted significant time to the simulator, but this once again highlights his talent and ability to adapt to a car." Reports suggest that Verstappen may take a break next year to familiarize himself with F1’s new regulations and potentially compete in GT3 categories, with his Nordschleife session contributing to obtaining the necessary specific license. "I can’t imagine that," Schumacher expressed. "He already has his own GT3 team, but he also enjoys Formula 1 too much to simply walk away from it. Just look at how quickly he flew to Miami even after becoming a father. That shows he still enjoys it." Schumacher is convinced that Verstappen’s F1 bosses will not be very happy about his Nordschleife participation. "I saw videos on social media. If I were Max’s team principal, I wouldn’t see driving on the Nordschleife as advantageous. I know many may not like to hear this, but I find it incredibly dangerous, especially at such high speeds. However, we do know that Max can drive better than most others."