F1 rival series could pinch Max Verstappen after Red Bull star's surprise venture

ADAC chief Thomas Voss has opened the door for to make the switch to the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series in the future. The Dutchman completed a secret test in GT3 machinery during his week off from F1. Verstappen's interest in GT3 machinery is no secret, however. The four-time F1 world champion has his own squad in the GT World Challenge Europe series after launching his Verstappen.com Racing organisation.

Now, he has stepped behind the wheel for an official Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) test and set-up outing. According to an report, Verstappen is interested in making some GT3 race appearances in the future, and the door has now been opened by the chief of ADAC, who are responsible for organising the DTM series.

"Max Verstappen is of course very welcome in the DTM," Voss revealed to Motorsport Total. "Max is Max. I got to know him when I was still in Oschersleben and he drove a Formula season with Timo Rumpfkeil [in 2013].

"He was already very strong-willed back then. I'm completely convinced: if he gets into a GT3 car, he'll master it in no time. I think he's fast in everything, and he's a natural when it comes to driving. He just has so much fun driving everything he gets his hands on."

Voss' confidence in Verstappen's ability is well-placed, too. As revealed by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko, the 27-year-old's test session at the Nurburgring Nordschleife produced a new track record for GT3 machinery.

"GT racing is his great love, and he has his own team," Marko told Kronen Zeitung. "He told me that he beat a record by two seconds after just three laps, knew every one of his lap times and everything about the suspension. He was almost more into the details than he was with his Formula One car."

Verstappen's future in F1 has been questioned this season following a challenging start to Red Bull's campaign. The Dutchman has been linked with Mercedes and Aston Martin, but has previously stated his desire to compete in other racing series during the prime of his career.

Throughout the early parts of the 2025 season, Red Bull have pointed toward their Imola upgrade package to salvage Verstappen's title defence. "The team has been working really hard, and we will need to hit the ground running," the four-time world champion explained.

"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."