Max Verstappen says he has a desire to venture into endurance racing in the future, but admits his focus is squarely on Formula 1 as he sits on the brink of a fourth consecutive title.
The 27-year-old Dutchman took part in a celebration of Honda’s ‘Hybrid Heroes’ on Tuesday at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, where he received his first taste of GTP machinery behind the wheel of an Acura ARX-06.
Coached up by Colin Braun, who drives the car for Meyer Shank Racing (MSR) in the IMSA SportsCar Championship, Verstappen set off for nearly a half-hour of running around a road course layout estimated around 1.3 miles in length.
In a roundtable with select media, Verstappen was asked by Motorsport.com if this opportunity teased the idea of running in the endurance classic, he said: “Yeah, it’s not about teasing or whatever. I know that I want to do it in the future anyway, but it’s just about finding the time.
“With such a busy F1 schedule, it’s almost impossible because we finish so late in the season and then to properly prepare where you have to run Daytona or whatever, is pretty impossible.
“I know that when I want to do it, I want to go there and try to win it, be really competitive. The only way to do so is by doing some proper testing and get really well prepared, which is not possible at the moment.
“But, who knows? Maybe in a few years time. I’ll still be young-ish and I’ll be able to drive the cars.”
Max Verstappen, Red Bull Racing
Photo by: HRC
David Salters, president of Honda Racing Corporation, said Verstappen will always have an opportunity for a drive in the Daytona 24 Hours.
“I think for Max Verstappen the door is always open,” Salters exclusively told Motorsport.com. “It’s Max Verstappen! He is one of the greatest racing drivers of all time already, let’s see what he goes on to achieve.
“We have a brilliant relationship with Max. Let’s see what happens, but he’s a busy boy. But, the door is always open for Max Verstappen.”
The Red Bull Racing driver’s only previous sensation to the GTP machinery came on a simulator, which helped limit a steep initial learning curve.
“To get a first feel for it here, of course, there are quite some low-speed corners,” Verstappen said.
“The car really comes alive in the higher speeds that was more on the back side of the track. But it was very enjoyable. I’ve driven these cars on the sim a little bit, but to get a first feeling in real life was really cool.”
Verstappen went on to note “it was quite natural” getting behind the wheel for the first time, but the chilly conditions made for some extra time in warming up the tires up to an optimal temperature.
“I was trying to find the limits step-by-step without overdoing it,” he said, “because that’s not necessary at all, and have a bit of fun out there.”
When asked about wanting to race the 24 Hours of Le Mans, Verstappen noted it was a challenge with the demand of the current F1 schedule.
“Yeah, but I think it’s at the moment very hard to combine with F1,” he said. “Especially with everything being more and more competitive, you can’t divide your time between F1 and a GTP. At least for me, when I compete in something, I need to be well prepared.”
