“Tu tu du du”: Haase’s playful tribute to Verstappen after Nordschleife traffic drama

Veerendra SinghVeerendra Singh
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  • Verstappen seized NLS5 lead at Flugplatz after backmarker caught Haase off guard.
  • Haase imitated Verstappen’s arrival with a musical flourish that has gone viral.
  • A broken splitter ended Verstappen’s run, handing Haase a 28-second victory.

Christopher Haase won the NLS5 qualifying race at the Nürburgring Nordschleife on Sunday, April 19, but a single traffic incident from the opening stint has overshadowed the result.

Haase, recounting the moment on the Mennem TV Podcast, described how a backmarker at Flugplatz handed Max Verstappen the race lead.

He imitated Verstappen’s arrival with a burst of musical mimicry borrowed from the victory tune the Dutchman’s fans hum after his Formula 1 wins: “Tu tu du du.”

Haase shared the car with Ben Green and Alexander Sims in the #16 Audi R8 LMS GT3 for Team Scherer-PHX. They finished 28 seconds clear of the Abt Lamborghini.

The build-up: managing the gap

Before the incident, Haase was running strongly and trying to keep Verstappen at arm’s length.

The 20.8-kilometre circuit throws slower traffic at drivers constantly. A gap built over several corners can vanish in seconds.

“I always wanted to try and keep as big a gap as possible,” Haase said on the podcast, “because you never know when there’ll be a traffic situation. Then suddenly someone’s back on your tail. It’s always a game of give and take.”

The trouble arrived at Flugplatz, where a crest limits visibility and drivers commit to the corner without a clear view of what lies ahead. Haase spotted the slower car early and lifted off the throttle.

“Already on approach, I could see the car over the hill,” he said. “I lifted a bit. I thought I’d better take some speed out now so I wouldn’t crash into him later or have to brake hard.”

The backmarker never saw him coming and stayed in the middle of the road. Haase moved right to overtake. The slower driver turned right at the same moment.

“I had to brake, naturally,” Haase said, “I downshifted. I mean, you lose 30 to 40 kilometres per hour there just like that.”

‘Tu tu du du’: Verstappen seizes the moment

That sudden loss of speed gave Verstappen all the room he needed. Haase, laughing as he told the story, described what came next.

“And naturally, Max came along, going ‘Tu tu du du,’ and then there was no stopping him,” he said.

“Because when you arrive there with 50kph more speed, that’s just how it is. But still, something like this will happen the other way around eventually.”

The imitation was a reference to the tune Verstappen’s fans hum after his race wins, a detail that gave his retelling a fun tone without softening the competitive sting of losing the lead.

Commenting on Sky Sports F1’s YouTube channel, Arjuna Kankipati noted it was rare to see a driver reassert authority on the race lead in the manner Verstappen did. Neil Cole called the move “extraordinary.”

Haase held no bitterness after the race. He described their duel as “grandiose” and called Verstappen very respectful.

“He was great again and drove very respectfully,” Haase said. “Really handsome.”

Verstappen’s dominance cut short by mechanical failure

Verstappen had started fifth on the grid, with teammate Lucas Auer having set the qualifying time during the morning session.

He worked his way past Dennis Marschall’s Ferrari, Thomas Preining’s Manthey Porsche and Moritz Kranz’s Gamota BMW before clearing Haase.

An early pit stop, completed a full lap before Haase came in, extended his advantage to roughly 30 seconds over Alexander Sims.

The lead evaporated in his second stint. Verstappen felt the car shudder and heard a familiar, unwelcome sound.

“On the second lap of my second stint, I suddenly felt severe vibrations,” he told Viaplay, as reported by GPFans. “At the same time, I heard the splitter clattering harshly, and I immediately realised it had broken off. It was very strange.”

The Winward Racing crew pulled the #3 Mercedes into the garage. Repairs took nearly 30 minutes. Auer eventually rejoined, but the pair finished 39th overall.

The race was held under difficult circumstances. Finnish driver Juha Miettinen, 66, had died the previous day in a seven-car crash at the Klostertal section of the Nordschleife during the NLS4 race.

The grid observed a minute’s silence before the start on Sunday.

Verstappen posted on Instagram on Saturday evening: “Shocked by what’s happened today. Motorsport is something we all love, but in times like this it is a reminder of how dangerous it can be.”

Looking ahead: the Nürburgring 24 hours

Verstappen has been using F1’s five-week break, caused by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix, to pursue his GT racing ambitions.

The NLS5 was the last major qualifying race before the Nürburgring 24 Hours, scheduled for 16-17 May.

Haase has noted the effect Verstappen’s presence has had on the series. His own social media following doubled after their first duel at NLS2 in March.

When they line up together for the full 24-hour race next month, Sunday’s traffic drama at Flugplatz will sit fresh in both their memories, and Haase has already signalled he expects the roles to reverse.

“Something like this will happen the other way around eventually,” he said.

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Veerendra is a motorsport journalist with 4+ years of experience covering everything from Formula 1 to NASCAR and IndyCar. As a lifelong racing fan, he is an expert in exploring everything from race analysis to driver profiles and technical innovations in motorsport. When not at his desk, he likes exploring about the mysteries of the Universe or finds himself spending time with his two feline friends.

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