Verstappen warms up for Suzuka with Super GT test at Fuji

On his way to Suzuka for this weekend’s Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen made an unexpected pitstop at Fuji Speedway to test a Nissan Z GT500.

The four-time world champion tackled a wet track with gusto, getting to grips with the GT500 and its two-litre inline-four engine in only his second outing in a modern Super GT car – his first was a 2022 Honda NSX-GT.

The test, understood to be part of a Red Bull promotional shoot, saw Verstappen cut laps while only a handful of cars were on track, including a GT300 Honda NSX in matching Red Bull colors.

It’s another sign of the Dutchman branching out beyond F1, following his Nürburgring NLS round last Saturday with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 machine.

Along with teammates Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, Verstappen initially claimed victory before a post-race tyre penalty excluded the crew from the race’s results.

In Japan, Max is looking to reset after a grueling start to the F1 season with Red Bull. But there’s nothing wrong with having a little fun and a lot of excitement ahead of what promises to be a critical weekend in his championship campaign.