Vermeulen is about to embark on his second season within the DTM with Emil Frey Racing after a rookie marketing campaign by which he completed sixteenth within the standings with a greatest end of fifth on the Sachsenring.
The 21-year-old’s Ferrari 296 GT3 will as soon as once more carry the colors of Verstappen.com Racing, a undertaking that was began by the triple F1 champion in 2022.
Having mentored the younger Dutchman over time, Verstappen feels Vermeulen has what it takes to construct on his 2023 outcomes and put collectively a stable present within the DTM this yr.
“Hopefully with the expertise he has gained thus far, it would all come a bit extra naturally to him and subsequently he can compete on the entrance a bit extra constantly, as a result of the potential is certainly there,” the 26-year-old instructed the Dutch version of Motorsport.com.
“He’s very quick. Once we take a look at too, each time I drive him, he is inside two tenths of me on a regular basis.”
Vermeulen, son of Verstappen’s supervisor Raymond, is comparatively new into motor racing, having solely began his profession in 2020 with GT4 racing.
He mixed his DTM programme with a drive within the GT World Problem Europe collection final yr, and can stay within the SRO championship once more in 2024 as a part of one other twin marketing campaign.
Verstappen believes Vermeulen nonetheless lacks expertise in comparison with a few of his rivals, with the DTM once more that includes a grid comprising veteran racers similar to Kelvin van der Linde, Marco Wittmann and Lucas Auer.
“All these guys he races towards 1715132852, I used to race towards them [when I was in lower formulas],” Verstappen stated. “In order that they have much more expertise than him.
“Thierry is clearly nonetheless studying. That simply takes some time and you must be affected person with that, however he is selecting it up shortly. He undoubtedly has expertise – and he is undoubtedly not afraid within the quick corners!”
Verstappen revealed that he and Vermeulen stay in common contact, with the Emil Frey driver additionally supplying him together with his automobile information to grasp his weaknesses and strengths.
“I speak to him rather a lot,” stated the F1 championship chief. “He at all times sends me his information and onboards. And when he’s testing, he retains me up to date throughout the day.
“Additional, we attempt to prepare issues on the simulator and I attempt to give ideas after we can and when he wants them.”
In December final yr, Verstappen accomplished two days of operating in Emil Frey’s Ferrari GT3 automobile at Portimao, with one of many targets of the take a look at being to help the event of Vermeulen’s expertise.
Talking of the 296 GT3, which was launched by Ferrari final yr as a alternative to the long-running 488 GT3, the Crimson Bull ace stated: “The automobile is sweet. I examined it myself, with that Ferrari. That basically is a severely quick automobile.
“However you additionally rely on the BoP [Balance of Performance]. That might be towards him one time and that might be in his favour one time. And if issues are good when it comes to BoP, you must make one of the best of it, after all.”