Max Verstappen did something rarely seen ‘in real life’ during stunning sportscar test

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Max Verstappen is firmly on course to become a four-time Formula 1 world champion this year. Heading into his home race at Zandvoort, he leads Lando Norris by 78 points.

History suggests that margin is almost unassailable. While Red Bull may no longer possess the best car, Verstappen’s robotic consistency should prevent Norris from gaining the points required.

Many would argue that the Dutchman is the best in F1 right now. Only four drivers in the sport’s history have ever won four straight titles.

Verstappen himself has little interest in such debates. NASCAR driver Kyle Larson recently claimed he was a better all-rounder than the 26-year-old.

Verstappen admits he wouldn’t be good on dirt tracks, but is confident he could get up to speed in most four-wheel disciplines. And he backed this up when driving a GT3 car.

His team, ‘Verstappen.com Racing’, competes in such machinery. A clip from his Viaplay documentary ‘Max Verstappen: Off The Beaten Track‘ showed how he fared when he got behind the wheel.

Max Verstappen’s rate of improvement in sportscar test stuns observers

One observer couldn’t believe what he was witnessing as Verstappen repeatedly shaved significant chunks off his lap time. He naturally had high expectations given the calibre of driver on display, but he was still surprised.

He said: “I know what to expect from this kind of guy. In this case, it was something really unexpected. He was improving the lap time at a level that normally doesn’t exist in real life. You are really surprised even if you expect it.”

Thierry Vermeulen, the Dutch driver backed by Verstappen, is currently competing in German series DTM. He sits 15th out of 21 drivers in the championship after the first 10 rounds.

How Max Verstappen compares to Lewis Hamilton at 200-race mark

Verstappen has built a reputation for being immediately quick on any given weekend. He frequently sets the pace in the early minutes of an FP1 session, which suggests he may be more confident pushing the car at the outset than his competitors.

This weekend’s Dutch GP will mark his 200th race start in F1. It’s been just under a decade since he became the youngest driver ever when he signed for Toro Rosso.

Across his 199 races to date, Verstappen marginally beats Lewis Hamilton for race wins, and he’s only just behind for podiums despite starting out in a midfield car. By the end of his career, there’s a strong chance that he beats the Briton’s haul of seven world championships.

In fact, one ex-F1 driver thinks only early retirement can stop Verstappen breaking those records. He’s openly discussed the possibility of walking away if he loses his enthusiasm.

His innate love for racing is clear, so it’s possible that he could test himself in another discipline. Fellow world champion Fernando Alonso is two-thirds of the way to a fabled triple crown, having won the Monaco GP and the Le Mans 24 Hours – he now just needs the Indy500.