Max Verstappen has called out Mercedes-AMG driver Marco Engel for making “false” claims about his recent GT3 outing at the famed Nordschleife circuit.

Last week, just days after the Miami Grand Prix, a Mr. Franz Hermann put in the laps at the Nordschleife behind the wheel of a Ferrari 296 GT3.

Max Verstappen: Don’t spread things when you don’t know

Mr. Hermann recorded a lap time that was below lap-record pace, clocking a 7:49.5s around the 20.832km circuit.

However, there is no Franz Hermann, it was four-time F1 World Champion Max Verstappen who was going incognito – although it wasn’t long before word got out that it was the Red Bull driver running as Mr. Hermann.

Although there was no official timing for Verstappen’s run, the Dutchman revealed it was below the existing lap record.

“It was, yeah,” he told media, including PlanetF1.com, of his lap time. “But for me, I’m not there to show that I can break a lap record or whatever record.

“I was just having fun and learning the track together with the team as well, Emil Frey. For them also, the dream is to do 24 hours there. So we just had a good time getting up to speed.

“We were lucky with the conditions as well, it was really nice and sunny, so that’s great.”

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However, Mercedes DTM driver Marco Engel took to X to reveal what he called a “few facts” about the spec of Verstappen’s Ferrari 296 GT3 car.

“To the topic of the moment,” Engel wrote. “Few facts to Franz Hermann GT3 Nordschleife Test: car was run in DTM spec BoP (less weight, more power, lower ride height than NLS BoP). Lap time: 7:48.”

“Still impressive for a first visit to the green hell,” he added. “Would be cool to see Franz compete!”

Mr. Hermann, AKA Verstappen, hit back at those claims.

“False,” he wrote. “Don’t spread things when you don’t know how the car was setup and our engine settings.

“Why would I join a NLS track day with the wrong BOP.

“Have a good one tomorrow.”

Engel replied: “Seems like paddock chat was incorrect then. Your clearly in a better position to tell us what you ran. Thnx and same to you.”

Verstappen revealed he’s keen to run the Nurburgring 24 Hours with his GT3 team, his recent test giving him a bit more of an idea of what he’d need to be prepared for. He doesn’t believe Red Bull would stand in his way given it is his “private” time away from the Formula 1.

“I would like to do that in the future,” he said. “That’s why I’m doing all these things to prepare a bit, get a bit of experience. So, you don’t need to do that in the future.

“It’s my passion. I’m running this year also with the GT3 team, I want to gather also more information for myself. And at the end of the day, it’s my private time.”

But while the likes of Ralf Schumacher questioned the “not very smart” decision to test on a dangerous track such as the Nordschleife, Verstappen prepared for his debut with countless hours in his simulator.

“I’ve done thousands of laps around there,” he said of the Nordschleife. “So for me, when I got there in real life, it was more knowing the grid level, the new tarmac in places, and then the grip level of the car.

“Of course, a few barriers here and there… The most important [thing] is that you know exactly where you’re going, and that I knew already.”

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