F1 champion Max Verstappen test drives the Ford Mustang GTD [Video]

FORD Mustang GTD

F1 champion shares driving secrets

Starting in the 2026 season, Red Bull Racing will use Ford power units in F1. Prior to this, Ford’s motorsports division, Ford Performance, organized a test drive of a Ford performance car by Max Verstappen.

This time, Verstappen was given the chance to drive the Group B RS200 and the high-performance Mustang GTD, which was developed at the same time as the GT3. Verstappen first drove the RS200 and spoke at length about the evolution of his driving style, the importance of driving training in his rise to the top of F1, and his mindset for racing at the world’s highest level.

Enjoy a test drive of the Mustang GTD

After driving the RS200, Verstappen headed to the circuit and got behind the wheel of a Mustang GTD, a road-legal GT3 race car. While driving the Mustang GTD, he explained his approach to the circuit to motor journalist Chris Harris, who hosts the video.

Rather than memorising the layout of the circuit and its braking points as a whole, Verstappen would devour each corner, identifying where there was grip and where there wasn’t, relentlessly attacking the circuit until he’d uncovered its secrets and extract every bit of speed possible.

This time, the Mustang GTD fully responded to Verstappen’s insatiable driving quest, demonstrating the power delivery from the 5.2-liter V8 engine with a maximum output of over 800 PS, the suspension’s ability to handle bumpy roads, and the instantaneous understanding of the characteristics of the standard carbon ceramic brakes, all while demonstrating machine control at the limit.

In the special video below, you can see just how much Verstappen enjoys driving the Mustang GTD, as seen in the smile on his face every time he jumps over a curb.

Check out Verstappen’s Mustang GTD test drive in the video!

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The road-legal Ford Mustang GTD race car records a time of 6 minutes 57.685 seconds at the Nürburgring [Video]

Ford conducted a time attack on the Nürburgring Nordschleife using the high-performance Mustang GTD, which was developed at the same time as the Mustang GT3 racing car. The car recorded a time of 6 minutes 57.685 seconds, which is the fifth fastest time for a production sports car. Ford has released a documentary video of this Nürburgring attack on their official YouTube channel.