Max Verstappen took a break from his F1 dominance to test drive something completely different – an Acura ARX-06 GTP race car in the Nevada desert.
The three-time F1 champ got behind the wheel of the high-performance IMSA championship car a few months back, just before clinching his latest title in Las Vegas. Honda’s just released some pretty cool footage of the secret test.
It wasn’t your average test drive. Verstappen got some expert coaching from IMSA driver Colin Braun, who races these beasts regularly. Six-time IndyCar champion Scott Dixon was there too, making it quite the star-studded affair.
The test happened at a hidden track somewhere in the Mojave Desert. The video shows Verstappen getting a detailed walkthrough from Braun before hitting the track, then coming in for quick chats between runs.
These Acura race cars are serious machines – they’re similar to the hypercars you’ll see in the World Endurance Championship. For those wondering, Acura is basically Honda’s luxury brand in America, and Honda’s the company that powers Verstappen’s Red Bull F1 car.
But Max wasn’t the only F1 driver having fun that day.
His teammate Sergio Perez was there too, putting a Honda CRV Hybrid “Beast” through its paces. Meanwhile, Yuki Tsunoda was testing out a Honda-powered IndyCar, and Liam Lawson got to play with an Acura Integra Type S DE5.
It’s pretty rare to see F1 drivers testing other race cars during the season, which makes this footage even more special.
The timing was perfect too – just before Verstappen would go on to dominate the Las Vegas Grand Prix and add another chapter to his incredible 2023 season.
