Christian Horner stunned by 'insane' Max Verstappen Nurburgring footage

Max Verstappen kept himself busy during the break following the Miami Grand Prix by visiting the Nurburgring and taking the wheel of a GT3 car.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner described Verstappen's surprise Nordschleife appearance as "insane" after viewing onboard footage of the run.

Verstappen made an unexpected appearance at the famed German circuit last weekend, piloting a Ferrari GT3 car. While official times have not been released, Verstappen indicated that he had broken the track record for that class, despite only having a few laps of experience.

Horner commented that Red Bull is eager to support Verstappen's interests outside of Formula 1. He revealed that the team has been aware of Verstappen's desire to drive at the Nurburgring for some time.

"He's so passionate about all forms of racing, sim racing, GT racing, he has his own GT team effectively," Horner told Sky F1. "He was very keen to run at the Nurburgring, it's something we've known about for quite some time.

"He went there and did an incredible job and really enjoyed himself. It's what he does, it's what he loves doing. It would be very hard to take that away from him."

Max Verstappen's Balanced Approach

With Formula 1's calendar expanding to 24 races, drivers have limited opportunities to pursue other motorsport activities.

Horner stated that Verstappen is focused on balancing his F1 commitments with his personal passions outside of his primary role.

"The focus has to be here and on the day job, but I think it's great that he's so versatile," Horner added. "We've always been slightly more relaxed than perhaps other teams in terms of the freedom that we've given our drivers.

"He's finding that that compromise, finding that balance. The priority is here [in F1] but it's great that he's embracing all forms of motorsport.

"He's not going to miss a race, that's for sure," Horner added, referencing Fernando Alonso's absence from the 2017 Monaco Grand Prix to compete in the Indianapolis 500.

Horner shared that Red Bull received Verstappen's onboard footage from his Nurburgring laps, which left the team impressed.

"He really enjoys the GT stuff and his ability to jump in and just deliver...

"He sent us a copy of the onboard in the Nurburgring, and it was insane. You can see why he enjoys it so much."