{"id":1875965,"date":"2026-04-09T12:07:00","date_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:07:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1875965"},"modified":"2026-04-09T12:07:00","modified_gmt":"2026-04-09T09:07:00","slug":"max-verstappens-secret-trick-gt-rivals-would-never-have-thought-of-teased","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/?p=1875965","title":{"rendered":"Max Verstappen&#8217;s &#8216;secret trick&#8217; GT rivals &#8220;would never have thought of&#8221; teased"},"content":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=1600&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9&#8243;]<\/p>\n<article>\n<header id=\"lbs-article\" class=\"article header article-header section layout layout--article-header\">\n<div class=\"col headline\">\n<div>\n<h1>Max Verstappen&#8217;s &#8216;secret trick&#8217; GT rivals &#8220;would never have thought of&#8221; teased<\/h1>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"summary body\">\n<p>Max Verstappen has been making waves outside of the Formula 1 paddock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"section two-column\">\n<div class=\"col article-info\">\n<div>\n<address> Sam Hall <\/address>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div><time datetime=\"2026-04-09T13:07:00+01:00\">09 Apr 2026<\/time><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col article-actions\">\n<div class=\"block block-better-social-sharing-buttons block-social-sharing-buttons-block\">\n<div class=\"social-sharing-buttons\"><span class=\"ssb-title\"> Share<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/header>\n<div id=\"lbs-content\" class=\"content wide-two-column-sticky section layout layout--wide-two-column-sticky\">\n<div class=\"col first-column\">\n<div>\n<div>\n<figure> <source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=1920&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 1920w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=1800&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 1800w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=1600&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 1600w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=1500&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 1500w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=1200&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 1200w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=900&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 900w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=800&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 800w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=600&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 600w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=400&amp;format=webp&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9 400w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 710px, (min-width:768px) 62vw, 97vw\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><figcaption>\n<div>Verstappen has had little to smile about in F1 this year<\/div>\n<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block block-preferred-source\">\n<div class=\"preferred-source-cta\">  Add as a preferred source <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<div class=\"body\">\n<p>Max Verstappen stunned the GT world with a dominant performance at the Nurburgring, making use of a trick that surprised even the most experienced drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen continued his preparations for the Nurburgring 24 Hours by competing in the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie [NLS].<\/p>\n<p>Having initially been crowned as the race winner alongside team-mates Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, the Dutchman\u2019s entry was subsequently disqualified for having used too many sets of tyres.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this disappointment, Juncadella, who boasts a hat-trick of GT titles to his name, praised how quickly Verstappen had not only adapted to GT racing, but had also unlocked tricks never previously seen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was impressive to see how well he understood how to stay so close behind Christopher Haase,&#8221; Juncadella told\u00a0<em>Motorsport.com<\/em>. &#8220;It was the first time ever that he had to race this way in a GT3 car on this circuit.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;He actually did something very special that we talked about after the race. It&#8217;s something I would never have thought of myself &#8211; and I&#8217;ve been driving GT cars for a long time. I&#8217;m not going to tell you what it is, because I&#8217;d rather keep that to myself. It&#8217;s a nice trick he discovered. Maybe someday I&#8217;ll tell you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen is taking every chance to get behind the wheel of machinery away from the F1 paddock, with the Red Bull driver sampling a Super GT car at Fuji ahead of last month\u2019s Japanese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"ins-related_content dsp-related_content_in_article\">\n<h2>Read More<\/h2>\n<div class=\"related-content-in-body js-view-dom-id-d0e5669bc2455ff1360595f900f02056cbfd7c6661d4606b1ef742b2a7e746b7\">  Why Max Verstappen is not racing in NLS3 this weekend   Max Verstappen\u2019s father reacts to bombshell Gianpiero Lambiase exit <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>With speculation continuing to grow over his F1 future, this furthered by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase\u2019s impending move to rivals McLaren and his dislike of the current regulations, Verstappen would not be short of suitors in further afield paddocks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not even so much about his driving style; it&#8217;s the sheer self-assurance he has to jump into a car you hardly know, on a circuit that requires absolute self-assurance,\u201d Juncadella added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was right on top of it from practice on Friday, including in the race.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"ins-related_content dsp-related_content_in_article_2\">\n<h2>Read More<\/h2>\n<div class=\"related-content-in-body js-view-dom-id-c4642436ceea0374aa70a28ddee1101b8dd47d805aa446dfcbdb15d50af8a8d0\">  How Max Verstappen\u2019s F1 race engineer will fit in at McLaren   Why Lambiase isn&#8217;t the only ace McLaren could play to lure Verstappen <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;His experience in sim racing gives him an edge. Through all that online GT racing, he understands exactly how to race against others and how to read situations before they happen. It just shows how passionate he is about racing.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block block-echobox\">\n<h2>Subscribe to our F1 Newsletter<\/h2>\n<div class=\"info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-info\" id=\"edit-info--2\">\n<p>Get the latest F1 news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"extra-info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-legal\" id=\"edit-legal--2\">\n<p>For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div>\n<h2>In this article<\/h2>\n<div>\n<div class=\"field_keywords\">F1<\/div>\n<div class=\"field_keywords\">2026<\/div>\n<div class=\"field_keywords\">Max Verstappen<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"block block-next-prev\">\n<div class=\"next-prev-pager contextual-region\">\n<div class=\"items\">\n<div class=\"item prev\">\n<h3>  Previous<\/h3>\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\"> One of F1&#8217;s disappointing starters with &#8220;potential&#8221; urged to make &#8220;big step&#8221;<\/div>\n<source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=1920&amp;format=webp 1920w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=1800&amp;format=webp 1800w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=1600&amp;format=webp 1600w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=1500&amp;format=webp 1500w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=1200&amp;format=webp 1200w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=900&amp;format=webp 900w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=800&amp;format=webp 800w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=600&amp;format=webp 600w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/xpb_1401103_hires.jpg?width=400&amp;format=webp 400w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 710px, (min-width:768px) 62vw, 97vw\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"item next\">\n<h3> Next <\/h3>\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\"> The biggest winners and losers from F1\u2019s surprise five-week break<\/div>\n<source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=1920&amp;format=webp 1920w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=1800&amp;format=webp 1800w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=1600&amp;format=webp 1600w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=1500&amp;format=webp 1500w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=1200&amp;format=webp 1200w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=900&amp;format=webp 900w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=800&amp;format=webp 800w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=600&amp;format=webp 600w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/2268868295.jpg?width=400&amp;format=webp 400w\" sizes=\"(min-width:1024px) 710px, (min-width:768px) 62vw, 97vw\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"article-author-block block block-configurable-views-block\">\n<div class=\"author-view grid-view js-view-dom-id-2ef02ad5deb1c3341498cc3b79252a6cf68e34a01f1703d8781ae6a1ad2daf58\">\n<div class=\"card user default\">\n<div class=\"image\"> <source srcset=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/pictures\/whatsapp-image-2026-03-05-at-12.30.04.jpeg?height=270&amp;format=webp 270w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/pictures\/whatsapp-image-2026-03-05-at-12.30.04.jpeg?height=180&amp;format=webp 180w,https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/pictures\/whatsapp-image-2026-03-05-at-12.30.04.jpeg?height=90&amp;format=webp 90w\" sizes=\"100px\" type=\"image\/webp\" \/><\/div>\n<div class=\"info\">\n<div class=\"header\">\n<div class=\"text\">\n<div class=\"name\">Sam Hall<\/div>\n<div class=\"role\">F1 Writer<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"desc\">\n<p>Sam joined Crash.net in February 2026 with extensive experience in motorsport media, having covered numerous championships around the world.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"views-element-container block block-views-blockrelated-content-related-content-block\">\n<h3>More News<\/h3>\n<div class=\"grid-view grid-2 js-view-dom-id-25e09875336ef91b424c739d595f471d012b1d9b74c7a184638767e5ca58ae7e\">\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"links\">\n<div class=\"sections\"> F1  News <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>McLaren confirms Gianpiero Lambiase signing as Red Bull responds to shock exit<\/p>\n<div class=\"card-info\">\n<div class=\"time\" data-timestamp=\"1775743636\"> 09\/04\/26<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/xpb_1396596_hires.jpg?aspect_ratio=1:1\" alt=\"Verstappen will lose another key ally in Lambiase\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"links\">\n<div class=\"sections\"> F1  Feature <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Verstappen\u2019s F1 future even more in doubt after Lambiase shock <\/p>\n<div class=\"card-info\">\n<div class=\"time\" data-timestamp=\"1775727047\"> 09\/04\/26<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/si202508310193.jpg?aspect_ratio=1:1\" alt=\"Lambiase has engineered Verstappen throughout his Red Bull career\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"links\">\n<div class=\"sections\"> F1  News <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Verstappen to lose right-hand man to McLaren bombshell report claims<\/p>\n<div class=\"card-info\">\n<div class=\"time\" data-timestamp=\"1775716952\"> 09\/04\/26<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/si202512070136.jpg?aspect_ratio=1:1\" alt=\"Lambiase has been the voice in Verstappen's ear at Red Bull \" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"links\">\n<div class=\"sections\"> F1  News <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Outspoken race winner claims F1 \u201cdoesn\u2019t need\u201d Max Verstappen<\/p>\n<div class=\"card-info\">\n<div class=\"time\" data-timestamp=\"1775636023\"> 08\/04\/26<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-04\/xpb_1404684_hires.jpg?aspect_ratio=1:1\" alt=\"Verstappen has threatened to walk away from F1 \" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"links\">\n<div class=\"sections\"> F1  News <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Red Bull insists &#8220;no discussions&#8221; about Max Verstappen&#8217;s F1 future &#8220;if we get a fast car&#8221;<\/p>\n<div class=\"card-info\">\n<div class=\"time\" data-timestamp=\"1775570400\"> 07\/04\/26<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603290544.jpg?aspect_ratio=1:1\" alt=\"Verstappen is not enjoying the new generation of F1 cars\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<div class=\"card card_default\">\n<div class=\"content\">\n<div class=\"links\">\n<div class=\"sections\"> F1  News <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>Damon Hill tells Max Verstappen &#8220;stop and do something else&#8221; amid F1 displeasure <\/p>\n<div class=\"card-info\">\n<div class=\"time\" data-timestamp=\"1775376000\"> 05\/04\/26<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603280033.jpg?aspect_ratio=1:1\" alt=\"Verstappen has continually been linked with Mercedes\" loading=\"lazy\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"col second-column\">\n<div class=\"sticky\">\n<div class=\"block block-echobox\">\n<h2>Subscribe to our F1 Newsletter<\/h2>\n<div class=\"info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-info\" id=\"edit-info\">\n<p>Get the latest F1 news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"extra-info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-legal\" id=\"edit-legal\">\n<p>For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/article>\n<div class=\"summary body\">\n<p>Max Verstappen has been making waves outside of the Formula 1 paddock.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body\">\n<p>Max Verstappen stunned the GT world with a dominant performance at the Nurburgring, making use of a trick that surprised even the most experienced drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen continued his preparations for the Nurburgring 24 Hours by competing in the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie [NLS].<\/p>\n<p>Having initially been crowned as the race winner alongside team-mates Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, the Dutchman\u2019s entry was subsequently disqualified for having used too many sets of tyres.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this disappointment, Juncadella, who boasts a hat-trick of GT titles to his name, praised how quickly Verstappen had not only adapted to GT racing, but had also unlocked tricks never previously seen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was impressive to see how well he understood how to stay so close behind Christopher Haase,&#8221; Juncadella told\u00a0<em>Motorsport.com<\/em>. &#8220;It was the first time ever that he had to race this way in a GT3 car on this circuit.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;He actually did something very special that we talked about after the race. It&#8217;s something I would never have thought of myself &#8211; and I&#8217;ve been driving GT cars for a long time. I&#8217;m not going to tell you what it is, because I&#8217;d rather keep that to myself. It&#8217;s a nice trick he discovered. Maybe someday I&#8217;ll tell you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen is taking every chance to get behind the wheel of machinery away from the F1 paddock, with the Red Bull driver sampling a Super GT car at Fuji ahead of last month\u2019s Japanese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"ins-related_content dsp-related_content_in_article\">\n<h2>Read More<\/h2>\n<div class=\"related-content-in-body js-view-dom-id-d0e5669bc2455ff1360595f900f02056cbfd7c6661d4606b1ef742b2a7e746b7\">  Why Max Verstappen is not racing in NLS3 this weekend   Max Verstappen\u2019s father reacts to bombshell Gianpiero Lambiase exit <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>With speculation continuing to grow over his F1 future, this furthered by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase\u2019s impending move to rivals McLaren and his dislike of the current regulations, Verstappen would not be short of suitors in further afield paddocks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not even so much about his driving style; it&#8217;s the sheer self-assurance he has to jump into a car you hardly know, on a circuit that requires absolute self-assurance,\u201d Juncadella added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was right on top of it from practice on Friday, including in the race.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"ins-related_content dsp-related_content_in_article_2\">\n<h2>Read More<\/h2>\n<div class=\"related-content-in-body js-view-dom-id-c4642436ceea0374aa70a28ddee1101b8dd47d805aa446dfcbdb15d50af8a8d0\">  How Max Verstappen\u2019s F1 race engineer will fit in at McLaren   Why Lambiase isn&#8217;t the only ace McLaren could play to lure Verstappen <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;His experience in sim racing gives him an edge. Through all that online GT racing, he understands exactly how to race against others and how to read situations before they happen. It just shows how passionate he is about racing.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block block-echobox\">\n<h2>Subscribe to our F1 Newsletter<\/h2>\n<div class=\"info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-info\" id=\"edit-info--2\">\n<p>Get the latest F1 news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"extra-info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-legal\" id=\"edit-legal--2\">\n<p>For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"body\">\n<p>Max Verstappen stunned the GT world with a dominant performance at the Nurburgring, making use of a trick that surprised even the most experienced drivers.<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen continued his preparations for the Nurburgring 24 Hours by competing in the second round of the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie [NLS].<\/p>\n<p>Having initially been crowned as the race winner alongside team-mates Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, the Dutchman\u2019s entry was subsequently disqualified for having used too many sets of tyres.<\/p>\n<p>Despite this disappointment, Juncadella, who boasts a hat-trick of GT titles to his name, praised how quickly Verstappen had not only adapted to GT racing, but had also unlocked tricks never previously seen.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It was impressive to see how well he understood how to stay so close behind Christopher Haase,&#8221; Juncadella told\u00a0<em>Motorsport.com<\/em>. &#8220;It was the first time ever that he had to race this way in a GT3 car on this circuit.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;He actually did something very special that we talked about after the race. It&#8217;s something I would never have thought of myself &#8211; and I&#8217;ve been driving GT cars for a long time. I&#8217;m not going to tell you what it is, because I&#8217;d rather keep that to myself. It&#8217;s a nice trick he discovered. Maybe someday I&#8217;ll tell you.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Verstappen is taking every chance to get behind the wheel of machinery away from the F1 paddock, with the Red Bull driver sampling a Super GT car at Fuji ahead of last month\u2019s Japanese Grand Prix.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"ins-related_content dsp-related_content_in_article\">\n<h2>Read More<\/h2>\n<div class=\"related-content-in-body js-view-dom-id-d0e5669bc2455ff1360595f900f02056cbfd7c6661d4606b1ef742b2a7e746b7\">  Why Max Verstappen is not racing in NLS3 this weekend   Max Verstappen\u2019s father reacts to bombshell Gianpiero Lambiase exit <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>With speculation continuing to grow over his F1 future, this furthered by race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase\u2019s impending move to rivals McLaren and his dislike of the current regulations, Verstappen would not be short of suitors in further afield paddocks.<\/p>\n<p>&#8220;It&#8217;s not even so much about his driving style; it&#8217;s the sheer self-assurance he has to jump into a car you hardly know, on a circuit that requires absolute self-assurance,\u201d Juncadella added.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cHe was right on top of it from practice on Friday, including in the race.<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-block\">\n<div class=\"mpu-title\"><span>Article continues below<\/span><span>ADVERTISEMENT<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block\">\n<div class=\"ins-related_content dsp-related_content_in_article_2\">\n<h2>Read More<\/h2>\n<div class=\"related-content-in-body js-view-dom-id-c4642436ceea0374aa70a28ddee1101b8dd47d805aa446dfcbdb15d50af8a8d0\">  How Max Verstappen\u2019s F1 race engineer will fit in at McLaren   Why Lambiase isn&#8217;t the only ace McLaren could play to lure Verstappen <\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<p>&#8220;His experience in sim racing gives him an edge. Through all that online GT racing, he understands exactly how to race against others and how to read situations before they happen. It just shows how passionate he is about racing.\u201d<\/p>\n<aside>\n<div class=\"block block-echobox\">\n<h2>Subscribe to our F1 Newsletter<\/h2>\n<div class=\"info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-info\" id=\"edit-info--2\">\n<p>Get the latest F1 news, exclusives, interviews and promotions from the paddock direct to your inbox<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"extra-info js-form-wrapper form-wrapper\" data-drupal-selector=\"edit-legal\" id=\"edit-legal--2\">\n<p>For more information see our Privacy Policy<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/aside>\n<\/div>\n<p>[analyse_source url=&#8221;http:\/\/crash.net\/f1\/news\/1092937\/1\/max-verstappens-secret-trick-rivals-would-never-have-thought-teased&#8221;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>[analyse_image type=&#8221;featured&#8221; src=&#8221;https:\/\/cdn.crash.net\/2026-03\/si202603260165.jpg?width=1600&amp;aspect_ratio=16:9&#8243;] Max Verstappen&#8217;s &#8216;secret trick&#8217; GT rivals &#8220;would never have thought of&#8221; teased Max Verstappen has been making waves outside of the Formula 1 paddock. Sam Hall 09 Apr 2026 Share Verstappen has had little to smile about in F1 this year Add as a preferred source Max Verstappen stunned the GT world [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[2],"tags":[47,226],"class_list":["post-1875965","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-politics","tag-crash-net","tag-crawlmanager"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1875965","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1875965"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1875965\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1875965"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1875965"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/analyse.optim.biz\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1875965"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}