Overview
- Reports from Friday testing say Max Verstappen clocked roughly 7:45 in an Emil Frey Ferrari 296 GT3, but the lap is unverified because no official timing was running.
- Verstappen rejected suggestions the car ran outside NLS BoP, stating critics do not know the setup or engine modes used during the test.
- Maro Engel, Laurens Vanthoor and David Perel publicly cast doubt on the setup, with Engel implying the Ferrari’s performance resembled a higher‑spec configuration.
- The lap, if accurate, would be about three seconds quicker than Verstappen’s previously reported 7:48 set earlier this year under the pseudonym “Franz Hermann.”
- In Saturday qualifying for the NLS round, delayed by fog and run on a damp track, Verstappen secured P3 on the grid after a late switch to slicks and heavy traffic, with the race scheduled to start at 11:00 BST (12:00 CET).