Showcasing his elite racing caliber on the F1 track has become quite the norm for Max Verstappen, but the Dutchman is also capable of transferring his skills to another discipline. Not a surprise, considering his understanding of a car and the nuances of its performance on track is among the best in the business.
Verstappen is also great at giving feedback to his engineering team at Red Bull. Sometimes, he overwhelms them with information, a tendency the community has jokingly termed as ‘Max-splaining.’
Acura and Honda Racing Corporation got a taste of Verstappen’s technical expertise when the Red Bull star drove the ARX-06 in Las Vegas last November.
Despite competing in F1—a world completely different from endurance racing, where the Acura shines—Verstappen had surprisingly sharp insights about the car under his control.
Driven by Colin Braun, Tom Blomqvist, Felix Rosenqvist, and Scott Dixon for Meyer Shank Racing at the 2025 Daytona 24H event, the Acura GTP endurance car has enjoyed decent success in the IMSA SportsCar Championship over the past three seasons.
Besides finishing second at this year’s Daytona 24, the ARX-06 won the prestigious 24-hour race two years ago. So, Verstappen was driving a Daytona-winning car at HRC-US’ private test track in Vegas. Interestingly, the four-time F1 champion’s feedback on the Acura’s traction echoed concerns that Braun and his co-drivers had frequently raised.
“Traction is very good, you have to be quite straight to really get a good drive out of the corners,” Verstappen told HRC-US president, David Salters.
Braun was quite delighted to hear this and emphatically stated, “See, we’ve been telling you”. It was an ‘I told you so’ moment for the American driver.
Max Verstappen Driving the ARX-06: Director’s Cut
Full video: https://t.co/wqZW3SZcH3#F1 #AcuraARX #HRC #Hybrid #RedBullRacing pic.twitter.com/oexQeH6BKN
— Honda Racing US (@HondaRacing_US) February 6, 2025
Salters also quipped, “You sound like him [Braun] now”, much to everyone’s amusement. He further joked about how they may take Braun’s feedback on the traction more seriously due to Verstappen’s second opinion backing up the issue.
Verstappen was quick in the Acura GTP car
There is little doubt about Verstappen’s speed and adaptability to any car he gets to drive. And while he has often expressed his desire to race endurance cars, this was actually his first real opportunity to jump into an IMSA sports car.
The Red Bull driver seemed quite comfortable in the Acura ARX-06. After getting a feel for the car’s tendencies in braking zones and down the straights, Verstappen put in some hot laps and looked rather quick. Braun noted that he got up to pace smoothly in an endurance car, which is quite different from the F1 machinery Verstappen is used to.
The 27-year-old was also surprised by how quick the GTP car was down the straights, with far more grip than he had expected. While Verstappen remains fully focused on F1 for now, he has expressed interest in competing in 24-hour endurance races like Le Mans and Daytona.
There is a possibility that the four-time F1 champion could switch disciplines after his Red Bull contract ends in 2028. If he does, a full-time racing role in the World Endurance Championship (WEC) and the IMSA SportsCar Championship could be a natural choice—most likely in the top Hypercar and GTP classes.
