Max Verstappen recently headed to Italy where he reportedly got behind the wheel of a Ferrari beast in order to mentor a young racing driver, Thierry. Swiss publication Blick reported that Thierry received a racing masterclass from the three-time F1 champion.
Verstappen has a profound love for GT racing and a certain affinity for Thierry Vermeulen, the son of his manager, Raymond Vermeulen. “We’re something like a big family, and I’m also a GT and sim racing fan,” explained the Dutchman.
Hence, when the young driver was testing the Ferrari 296 GT3, which also runs under the banner of Verstappen.com, the 26-year-old was more than happy to show the youngster a few tips to master the beast. Ferrari introduced the 296 GT3 as the 2023 replacement for their legendary 488 GT3 which won them countless accolades in touring car championships.
Verstappen was quick to get to grips with the machinery and gave Thierry some useful mentoring. His father, Raymond revealed, “Max was able to give him some good tips after a few laps.”
That being said, the Vermeulen family is pretty clear about not chasing that Formula 1 dream. “Formula 1 is not a goal for us. I know which way is up – the air is far too thin for that. So we stay away,” explained Vermeulen Sr.
Max Verstappen is ready to support his good friend
Max Verstappen also revealed that he visited the Emil Frey Racing based out in Switzerland. Emil Frey is a GT3 stalwart and Thierry’s team currently. The Dutchman has repeatedly stated that he’s more than happy to take the young man, whom he considers family, under his wing.
While Raymond doesn’t want Thierry to try for F1, he does want his son to have a thriving and varied racing career. When prompted to reveal his elaborate plans, Raymond revealed, “There are other interesting categories in racing.” However, for now, GT3 seems like their best bet.
One could expect Verstappen to mentor Thierry as the Red Bull driver shares a strong bond with the youngster’s father. Being Verstappen’s manager, Vermeulen has been able to establish the Dutchman’s legacy in a team like Red Bull. For all that he’s done for the 26-year-old’s career, Verstappen has always been very grateful for it.
But his inclination towards helping Thierry in his GT racing career may have a long-term objective as well. As Helmut Marko revealed, “One day, Max will find his own GT team. He’s just a real racer.”
