has explained the story behind the 'Franz Hermann' pseudonym, which he used at the most recent test and set-up session at the Nurburgring Nordschleife. The four-time F1 world champion was testing GT3 machinery to help out Emil Frey Racing. While other drivers were enjoying a week off from the rigours of F1, Verstappen was behind the wheel, piloting a Ferrari 296 GT3 machine at the legendary Nordschleife circuit.

The car was wrapped in a Verstappen.com Racing livery, but fans were not made aware of the 27-year-old's presence beforehand. In fact, on first inspection of the entry list for the Nurburgring Langstrecken-Serie (NLS) event, Verstappen's name was not present. Instead, the four-time world champion was entered under the pseudonym 'Franz Hermann'.

According to Verstappen, the decision to race under a fake name was actually the organisers' idea. "They asked me for a fake name, so I said let's make it as German as we can," the Dutchman explained ahead of the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix.

"Because then you're not on the entry list," he continued when asked why a fake name was required. "Otherwise, people rock up at 8am knowing that my name is on the entry list. I knew that once I was there that people would realise, it's normal, but at least I wasn't on the entry list name. So at least at 8, 9am, it was pretty calm."

According to a report from , Verstappen is already in the process of applying for his Nordschleife permit, which would allow him to compete in NLS races, including the circuit's 24-hour event, which typically takes place in May or June.

"Yeah, I would like to do that in the future," he replied when quizzed about a possible Nurburgring 24 Hours attempt. "That's why I'm doing all these things, to prepare a bit, get a bit of experience. So you don't need to do that in the future."

The door has also been opened for Verstappen to compete in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters (DTM) series. Tim Voss, head of ADAC, who governs the championship, told Motorsport Total: "Max Verstappen is of course very welcome in the DTM.

"Max is Max. I got to know him when I was still in Oschersleben and he drove a Formula season with Timo Rumpfkeil. He was already very strong-willed back then. I'm completely convinced: if he gets into a GT3 car, he'll master it in no time. I think he's fast in everything, and he's a natural when it comes to driving. He just has so much fun driving everything he gets his hands on."