Max Verstappen in a Ferrari 296 GT3, his team launched in 2025

Max Verstappen has never hidden his desire to create his own GT3 team. Prior to this launch, scheduled for 2025, the Red Bull F1 driver tested the Ferrari 296 GT3 of Emil Frey Racing. His father Jos was also there.

Verstappen.com is already supporting a Ferrari from the Swiss team in GTWC Europe and DTM with Thierry Vermeulen at the wheel, son of Max Verstappen's manager. “It is extra work, but it’s something that gives me energy”, told Verstappen. "Right now, it’s early phases. Using Verstappen.com Racing, we sponsor and support the racing activities of various people close to me via consultations and advice. It all started with the sim racing of Team Redline. Many people still think that sim racing is not professional, but it’s a serious sport, and I invest a lot of hours into it, to prepare and defeat everybody else. We’re also busy right now at Verstappen.com Racing with Thierry Vermeulen in DTM and GTWC Sprint, and with my father in the rally races, but the goal is to eventually start our own race team. We’ll begin in the GT3-class, and see which way the wind blows.”

“If I do something, I want to do it right. I always want to win: at this as well", told Verstappen to Formula 1 Magazine. "The focus is on making the step from sim racing to GT3, so that not only you can enter racing via karting, because that’s ridiculously expensive at the moment. Sim racing, in comparison, is a lot cheaper. Such a switch is possible. It’s happened before, of course, but never really well, for a number of reasons. If you do everything professionally, I believe you can build a great racing career out of sim racing.” 

However, there are no plans for the Redline team to be renamed Team Verstappen.com Racing. “No, not that, but in the end those two are related", he said. "It’s also true not everyone in the sim team can step into a real racecar, but the boys that I do see potential in, I want to help by setting up my own GT3-team. I think GT3 is a beautiful class, where you can drive in great endurance-races. A junior class for the Formula cars doesn’t appeal to me. Formula 3, Formula 2… you have too little time in the car and it costs too much money. In the GT3 class you drive in more races, but it also has a different atmosphere. It’s more relaxed.”

Of course, Max Verstappen has an eye on the Le Mans 24 Hours, as he has said on numerous occasions. There was even a recent exchange with Fernando Alonso, a two-time winner, in which the two could see themselves sharing the same car. But that doesn't mean Max Verstappen won't be in one of his team's cars... “That would be cool, no? Who knows," he smiles. 

“We’re very busy with that at the moment. The next step is our own GT3-team. 2024 is too tight, but I want to get it off the ground as soon as possible. A GT3-team in 2025 should be doable. With two cars. We’re in full swing. The planning stage is over, we’re already making moves and taking action.”