A Super GT veteran has called for the series and its drivers to be shown more \u201crespect\u201d after complaining that a Red Bull promotional clip involving Max Verstappen felt \u201csomewhat off.\u201d<\/p>\n
Verstappen was spotted testing a Red Bull-branded Super GT car in the wet at Fuji Speedway ahead of the Japanese Grand Prix in March.<\/p>\n
Max Verstappen clip \u2018somewhat off\u2019 after Super GT outing<\/p>\n
Want more PlanetF1.com coverage? Add us as a preferred source on Google<\/a> to your favourites list for news you can trust<\/p>\n The final product \u2013 an eight-minute promotional video \u2013 was released by Red Bull last week, showing Verstappen taking part in a challenge.<\/p>\n Verstappen was tasked with matching or beating a lap time set by Super GT regular Atsushi Miyake, who won at Fuji in 2024 en route to third in the drivers\u2019 standings.<\/p>\n Miyake set a fastest lap of 1:44.075 with Verstappen lapping within a tenth of the Japanese driver\u2019s benchmark on his first effort.<\/p>\n Verstappen then bettered Miyake\u2019s time by going 1.785 seconds faster than the Super GT driver on his next lap.<\/p>\n Go deeper: Max Verstappen\u2019s frustration with the F1 2026 rules<\/p>\n The signs that Max Verstappen is closer than ever to quitting F1<\/a><\/p>\n \u2018Pretty terrible\u2019 \u2013 The Max Verstappen F1 2026 warning that went ignored<\/a><\/p>\n Fellow Super GT driver Jo\u00e3o Paulo de Oliveira has taken exception to the video, claiming it showed a lack of respect to drivers in the Japanese series.<\/p>\n In a post to social media, the Brazilian \u2013 who has competed in the category since 2006 \u2013 wrote: \u201cIn wet conditions where the track surface is constantly changing, lap times can fluctuate by nearly two seconds in just a few minutes.<\/p>\n \u201cYet, the way it was presented \u2013 as if he were nearly two seconds faster than a Super GT driver after just a few laps \u2013 feels somewhat off.<\/p>\n \u201cI believe that even in promotional material, respect for Super GT and its current drivers is essential.\u201d<\/p>\n Miyake himself did not appear to share his rival\u2019s view, commenting after Verstappen beat his time: \u201cHe\u2019s a champion, a world champion.<\/p>\n \u201cBy sharing the same car, I was able to see just how amazing his driving was and that was extremely exciting.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen, who stalled the car twice before making it out on track, quipped at one stage during the challenge: \u201cYou know these guys are racing these things the whole year round? If I\u2019m not beating him, I\u2019m going to cut the corners\u2026\u201d<\/p>\n Speaking after seeing off Miyake\u2019s best lap time, he said: \u201cIt was just getting a bit tricky to push.<\/p>\n \u201cAfter I saw my first lap, I was like: \u2018I can do a bit better than that.\u2019<\/p>\n \u201cSo I did the 42 and then it really started raining and in some of the corners it was quite tricky.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen added that he is hopeful of returning to Fuji in 2027 to recreate the challenge in dry conditions.<\/p>\n He said: \u201cI was just staring at the slick tyres. Hopefully next year it can be done.\u201d<\/p>\n Verstappen\u2019s burgeoning endurance career will step up a level this weekend as he makes his debut in the prestigious Nurburgring 24 Hours.<\/p>\n The four-time F1 world champion confirmed his decision to enter the endurance classic in March, 24 hours after the season-opening Australian Grand Prix.<\/p>\n Verstappen will share a Red Bull-branded Mercedes-AMG GT3 car with Jules Gounon, Lucas Auer and Daniel Juncadella.<\/p>\n The 28-year-old has appeared in a number of warm-up events at the Nordschleife over recent months in preparation for the 24-hour race.<\/p>\n Verstappen, Gounon and Juncadella took victory in an NLS race in March before being disqualified for a tyre-related infringement.<\/p>\n The trio were found to have used seven sets of tyres \u2013 one more than the permitted maximum of six \u2013 across qualifying and the race combined.<\/p>\n Verstappen returned to the Nurburgring during F1\u2019s extended break last month, partnering Auer for the Nurburgring 24 Hour qualifiers.<\/p>\n The pair were hit with a grid penalty after Auer caused a collision with another car in the first qualifying session of the weekend, before the race was stopped following an accident that claimed the life of veteran racer Juha Miettinen.<\/p>\n In the second race the following day, Verstappen and Auer were in the hunt for victory before being forced to pit for repairs.<\/p>\n They were eventually classified in 39th place.<\/p>\n Want to be the first to know exclusive information from the F1 paddock? Join our broadcast channel on WhatsApp<\/a> to get the scoop on the latest developments from our team of accredited journalists.<\/p>\n You can also subscribe to the PlanetF1 YouTube channel<\/a> for exclusive features, hear from our paddock journalists with stories from the heart of Formula 1 and much more!<\/p>\n