Former Williams and Toyota F1 driver Ralf Schumacher has called Max Verstappen ‘dangerous’ for deciding to complete a secret test at the legendary Nurburgring Nordschleife circuit on his week off.
The Red Bull driver chose to participate in an official NLS test session driving a Ferrari 296 GT3 under the pseudonym ‘Franz Hermann’
The Dutchman was there to help Emil Frey Racing test their set-ups for the upcoming GT3 races.
He drove a Verstappen.com liveried machine and reportedly set blistering lap times around the ‘green hell.’
Ralf Schumacher had some things to say about Verstappen racing GT3's
The circuit is notorious as one of the most challenging and dangerous in the world.
The track is also known for its risk of catching out even the best drivers in the world. Notably, Niki Lauda, who tried to boycott the 1976 German Grand Prix on safety grounds, after the race was allowed to run and Lauda crashed and was left with life-changing injuries.
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Discussing Verstappen’s appearance on the Backstage Boxengasse podcast, Schumacher said: “If I had been the team principal, I'd have asked Verstappen if he's still all there.
"To do something like that on the Nordschleife of all places is not very smart.
"I know, for many, it's a viewpoint they don't want to hear, but I find the Nordschleife incredibly dangerous. That's just the way it is, especially at this level and at these speeds.”
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Schumacher continued: “I then think back to when DTM races were banned here because those cars were going too fast, but today's GT3 cars are also insanely fast and everything happens neck-and-neck.
"Something happens faster than you think. Doing this somewhere else, okay, but for most people the Nordschleife still represents the biggest challenge.”
F1 returns to Imola this weekend, where Verstappen will have to switch his focus back to his World Championship bid.
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He is currently in a title fight with the McLaren’s of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris. The reigning world champion currently sits 32 points behind the Australian, although a significant upgrade package is on the way for Red Bull that should bring the Milton Keynes based team back into the fight.
"The team has been working really hard, and we will need to hit the ground running,” Verstappen explained before the weekend.
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“Imola is a really old school and iconic track that is really technical, and I always enjoy racing here. It is difficult to overtake, so qualifying will be key here."
Verstappen will aim to get back at the papaya machines when practice kicks off for the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix on Friday.
