Victim of Franz Hermann’s GT Car Superiority Empathizes With F1’s Lando Norris

Earlier this week, the motorsport world was introduced to a new trailblazer: Franz Hermann, who took to the iconic Nurburgring Nordschleife to test the Ferrari 296 GT3. This was essentially Hermann’s first-ever on-track appearance, and his blistering laps left many astounded.

Hermann pulled off some fantastic moves and even clocked an unofficial lap time of 7 minutes and 47 seconds — three seconds faster than the pole time from the latest NLS Cup race held at the venue. This kind of dominance, however, felt like deja vu for those who follow F1.

And on closer look, the crash helmet of ‘Hermann’ looked suspiciously familiar. It was, in fact, Max Verstappen. The world champion had used a pseudonym to test the Ferrari during his week away from F1.

The four-time world champion’s cover was blown when spectators at the track spotted a Verstappen.com racing suit and his Dutch lion helmet. The 27-year-old likely wanted to enjoy a few quiet laps around the 12.9-mile circuit without drawing attention. But it soon became a talking point.

Many credible reports suggest that Verstappen is already preparing to start racing in GT3 hardware — something he previously said he’d pursue after retiring from F1. The test was reportedly part of the licensing process required to compete in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring and the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) events.

We need to see Franz Hermann’s lap times

(via @Max33Verstappen) pic.twitter.com/yIvfePiL2K

— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 10, 2025

Verstappen’s prowess behind the wheel of the Ferrari GT3 didn’t go unnoticed. He recorded some incredibly fast lap times, which prompted Dutch NLS driver Calvin de Groot to drop a cheeky comment on social media, empathizing with Verstappen’s title rival, Lando Norris.

“Now I know how Norris feels when he is overtaken by Verstappen,” he wrote on Instagram.

De Groot, whose lap times were obliterated by Verstappen during the session, now understands what Norris goes through week in and week out in F1. De Groot’s comment is a testament to the Red Bull driver’s racing skills.

 

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A post shared by Calvin de Groot (@calvin.de.groot)

For much of the second half of 2024, Norris had the fastest car, but he still couldn’t get the better of Verstappen. The Red Bull ace defended his world championship with a considerably weaker mechanical package.

This season, Norris is finding it difficult to build a gap between himself and Verstappen, despite driving a more dominant car. Six races into the year, both drivers have the same number of wins (1), with Norris sitting just 16 points ahead of Verstappen in second place.

What makes life difficult for Norris is that Verstappen isn’t willing to pull over and let Norris pass easily. That puts the McLaren driver under pressure, often forcing him to make mistakes. For Norris to truly compete for the title, he has to overcome these challenges.

Meanwhile, Verstappen, having already conquered F1, seems ready to make rivals in GT3 break a sweat with his pace. Mercedes factory driver Maro Engel and 24 Hours of Le Mans winner and DTM champion Timo Scheider also had words of praise for him following his showing at Nurburgring Nordschleife.