Max Verstappen used his break from F1 ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix to drive a Ferrari 296 GT3 car at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit. The Dutchman drove the car under the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’ in a bid to evade attention at the track. The Dutchman has a vested interest in the GT3 category. He has a team, namely Verstappen.com Racing, entered in the GT World Challenge Europe series, with Thierry Vermeulen, Chris Lulham and Harry King piloting the Aston Martin Vantage AMR machine.

Ahead of the F1 race in Imola, Verstappen enjoyed a stint behind the wheel. This latest outing came at the Nordschleife circuit ahead of the third round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS), with the four-time world champion piloting his own Ferrari 296 GT3 machine, decked out in a Verstappen.com Racing livery.

According to a report from Auto Motor und Sport, Verstappen’s entry into the official NLS test and set-up sessions was intended to remain a mystery, and so the 27-year-old competed officially under the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’. The name featured on the side of the car, along with the Dutch flag, although his real name featured on his suit and helmet.

Verstappen was there to help Emil Frey Racing with their set-ups for the upcoming GT3 races, but also to enjoy some laps around the legendary Nordschleife circuit. There were security guards in place, and photographers were not afforded entry into the team’s garage.