Three-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen had the opportunity to sample the Acura ARX-06 GTP prototype from the IMSA championship on Tuesday. The special test organized by Honda’s racing arm HRC brought together all four Red Bull and VCARB F1 drivers at the Las Vegas Speedway’s Outside Road Course.
Ahead of this weekend’s Las Vegas F1 GP, where he will likely clinch his fourth drivers’ title in as many years, Verstappen spent nearly a full workday getting to terms with the machine with the help of IMSA GTP driver Colin Braun and IndyCar star Scott Dixon. The duo quickly brought the F1 ace up to speed on the Daytona-winning prototype, who, after some reconnaissance laps in a Honda Civic Hybrid and a thorough explainer of the button-filled cabin, quietly glided out of the pits on electric power before firing up the 2.4-liter twin-turbo V6 engine.
“I follow the series anyway, IMSA and WEC, quite a few of my friends race there but [I] have never driven one so to get a first feel for it here was very enjoyable, Verstappen told the media, including The Drive, after his stint. “Of course, I have driven these cars on the sim before, but to get the feeling in real life was really cool.”
As is expected from a driver of his caliber, it didn’t take Verstappen long to produce a speedy pace around the short track. However, the repeated “Chewbacca” noises emanating from the prototype as he attacked some corners showed he was still acclimating to the car’s complex engine braking system.
After a handful of laps, Verstappen entered the pits for a systems check and a quick chat with Braun. I could hear him discussing the engine braking situation and its tendency to lock the front tires, as well as his reaction to “the tires taking a long time to turn.” Despite this being purely for exhibition purposes, Verstappen quickly asked his crew about his lap times during the first stint so he’d have a baseline for his second outing.
“I have driven it a bit on the sim so that helped with the feeling and how the car handles, and had I not done that before it would’ve taken longer to get the feeling—so for me it was quite natural,” said Verstappen. “To heat up the tires takes quite a bit of time in this [weather], but it was very enjoyable finding the limits step by step and not overdoing it because it’s not necessary at all. Just wanted to have a bit of fun out there.”
Following his test, the attention turned to Verstappen’s future and how it may involve the same or a similar prototype—whether it be an IMSA GTP car or a WEC Hypercar. The Dutch racer already competes in several online endurance races throughout the year, so his affinity for prototypes and lengthy races is a known fact. When asked about whether this test teases him to do a race in real life, he quickly stated that he doesn’t wonder whether he wants to do it or not, he knows he does.
“It’s not about teasing, I know I want to do it in the future, it’s just finding the time,” said Verstappen. “With the busy schedule, it’s almost impossible. We finish [F1] so late in the season and then to properly prepare before heading to Daytona [in January] is really impossible.
“I know I want to do it but when I do it I want and try to win it, and the only way to do it is to do proper testing—which is not possible at the moment. But who knows, maybe in a few years time. I will still be young-ish.”
The one-off test also saw his teammate Sergio Perez drive the Honda CR-V “Beast”, a wild-looking crossover with an 800-hp IndyCar hybrid engine. From the VCARB side, Yuki Tsunoda sampled a current-generation hybrid IndyCar, while Liam Lawson drove the Acura Integra DE5 race car.
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