Verstappen’s GT ‘secret’ trick explained by teammate Daniel Juncadella

Max Verstappen’s “secret” maneuver on the Nürburgring Nordschleife has sparked curiosity across GT circles. According to his 24‑Hours of Nürburgring teammate Daniel Juncadella, the trick isn’t a mystery – it’s a F1‑informed way of staying out of dirty air and using side‑draft to close gaps.

Why it matters:

Verstappen’s F1‑derived approach gives GT drivers a tool to combat turbulent air, a key performance limiter on fast circuits. If adopted widely, it could raise the overall pace of endurance racing and cement Verstappen’s influence beyond Formula 1.

The details:

• Dirty‑air avoidance: Verstappen positions his car to stay in the clean slipstream, preserving down‑force and stability.
• Side‑draft overtaking: He deliberately moves alongside a rival, using lateral airflow to slow the opponent while keeping his own speed.
• F1 down‑force mindset in GT: He uses the highest down‑force experience to balance the car when trailing, a rare skill in GT; example: in a recent Nordschleife GT‑3 race he followed Christopher Haase and used side‑draft on the start‑finish straight to pull ahead.

What's next:

The technique will be put to the test at the upcoming 24 Hours of Nürburgring, where Verstappen Racing hopes to shave seconds off lap times in traffic. Other GT teams are already dissecting the method, and driver coaches may start incorporating similar tactics into their programs.