Thierry Vermeulen

Thierry Vermeulen
Vermeulen in 2023
Nationality	Dutch
Born	(2002-07-29) 29 July 2002 (age 22) Venlo, Netherlands
Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters career
Debut season	2023
Current team	Emil Frey Racing
Racing licence	FIA Gold
Car number	69
Starts	32 (32 entries)
Wins	0
Podiums	1
Poles	1
Fastest laps	2
Best finish	15th in 2024
Previous series
2022 2022 2021-22 2021 2020	ADAC GT Masters GTWC Europe Endurance Cup Porsche Sprint Challenge ME Porsche Carrera Cup Germany GT4 European Series

Thierry Egidius Gerardus Vermeulen (born 29 July 2002) is a Dutch racing driver currently competing for Emil Frey Racing in the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. He is backed by 3 time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen. ^{[1] [2]} He previously competed in the ADAC GT Masters, scoring a podium alongside Mattia Drudi. ^{[3] [4]}

Early career

Vermeulen began his racing career in 2020, competing for Team GP Elite in the GT4 CS class of the Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux. ^[5] He would experience a dominant campaign, winning every race but one on his way towards the title. During the same year, he would also make an appearance in the GT4 European Series at Le Castellet alongside Max Koebolt.

In 2021, the Dutchman would continue in Porsches, switching to the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. He won a race at Assen and placed sixth in the standings. ^[6] Other appearances that season included three drives in the 24H GT Series and a one-off in the Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.

During the winter, Vermeulen contested the Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East, where he amassed five podiums.

GT3 career

2022

Having made his first GT3 outing at the Kyalami 9 Hours in February, Vermeulen made a switch to the category with a campaign in the ADAC GT Masters, driving an Audi R8 LMS Evo II for Car Collection Motorsport. ^{[7] [8]} He and teammate Mattia Drudi collected a lone podium at Vermeulen's home track in Zandvoort, however this would only be enough for 23rd in the standings. ^[9] Nevertheless, Vermeulen had spent the year improving his speed thanks to his teammate's coaching according to team manager Denis Ferlemann. ^[10]

2023

Vermeulen performed double-duties the following year, driving for Emil Frey Racing in both the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup, where he was paired up with Albert Costa, and the DTM. ^{[11] [12]} In the former, the Dutchman struggled to keep pace with race-winning teammate Jack Aitken, though he would become a regular top-ten finisher during the second half of the season, leaving him 16th overall with a best result of fifth at the Sachsenring. ^[13] The latter series saw him and Costa take three podiums at the back end of the season, missing another when Vermeulen was penalised for colliding with Dries Vanthoor at the final corner in Hockenheim, which resulted in fourth place in the championship. ^{[14] [15] [16]}

2024

For the 2024 season, Vermeulen returned to contest the DTM with Emil Frey and remained with the team in the GTWC Sprint Cup, this time partnering Giacomo Altoè. ^{[17] [18]} At the opening DTM round in Oschersleben, the Dutchman collided with René Rast, resulting in an incensed Vermeulen showing the German the middle finger — he later received a reprimand for causing the collision and a warning for the gesture. ^{[19] [20]} Vermeulen only scored one top five finish during the first half of the campaign, finishing fourth at his home race in Zandvoort after qualifying third. ^[21] A few rounds later, the Dutchman managed to claim his first pole position in the DTM, qualifying first for the second race at the Sachsenring. ^[22] He would control the race until after the mandatory pit stop, when a penalty lap was issued as one of the mechanics had left a tyre on the ground in the pit lane, which demoted Vermeulen to third. ^{[23] [24]}

Personal life

As of 2023, Vermeulen lives in Monaco. ^[25] His father Raymond is the manager of three-time Formula One World Champion Max Verstappen. ^[26] As of 2023, Vermeulen was being mentored by Jos Verstappen. ^[27]

Racing record

Racing career summary

Season	Series	Team	Races	Wins	Poles	F/Laps	Podiums	Points	Position
2020	Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux - GT4 CS	Team GP Elite	12	11	5	?	12	?	1st
	GT4 European Series - Silver	Selleslagh Racing Team	2	0	0	0	0	0	NC†
2021	24H GT Series - 991	MRS GT-Racing	2	0	0	1	0	0	NC†
	24H GT Series - GTX	Red Camel-Jordans.nl	1	0	0	0	1	24	13th
	Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux	Team GP Elite	12	1	2	1	3	114	6th
	Porsche Carrera Cup Germany		2	0	0	0	0	5	24th
	Intercontinental GT Challenge	High Class Racing with WRT	1	0	0	0	0	8	26th
2021–22	Porsche Sprint Challenge Middle East	GP Elite	10	0	0	0	5	71	12th
2022	ADAC GT Masters	Car Collection Motorsport	14	0	0	0	1	51	23rd
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup	Tresor by Car Collection [28]	2	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup - Silver		2	0	0	0	0	0	NC
	24H GT Series - 992	Team GP-Elite	1	0	1	0	1	0	NC†
		RABDAN Motorsports by ID Racing	1	0	0	0	0	0
2023	24H GT Series - GT3	Team GP Elite	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC†
	Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters	Emil Frey Racing	16	0	0	0	0	58	16th
	GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup		10	0	0	1	3	62.5	4th
2023–24	Middle East Trophy - GT3	racing one	1	0	0	0	0	0	NC
2024	Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters	Emil Frey Racing	16	0	1	2	1	71	15th
	GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup		10	0	0	0	2	44	6th
	Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - Cup3	Lionspeed GP	2	0	0	0	0	*	*
	Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie - SP9	Konrad Motorsport	2	0	0	0	0	0*	*

^† As Vermeulen was a guest driver, he was ineligible to score points.
* Season still in progress.

Complete Porsche Sprint Challenge Benelux results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position)

Year	Team	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pos.	Points
2020	Team GP Elite	GT4 CS	ZOL 1 1	ZOL 2 1	ZOL 3 1	NÜR 1 1	NÜR 2 1	NÜR 3 1	ZND 1 1	ZND 2 1	ZND 3 1	ZOL 1 1	ZOL 2 3	ZOL 3 1	1st	?

Complete Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	Pos.	Points
2021	Team GP Elite	SPA 1 4	SPA 2 Ret	RBR 1 12	RBR 2 Ret	ZND 1 9	ZND 2 2	ZOL 1 5	ZOL 2 Ret	ASS 1 5	ASS 2 1	HOC 1 Ret	HOC 2 2	6th	114

Complete ADAC GT Masters results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	DC	Points
2022	Car Collection Motorsport	Audi R8 LMS Evo II	OSC 1 16	OSC 2 9	RBR 1 21†	RBR 2 Ret	ZAN 1 16	ZAN 2 2	NÜR 1 Ret	NÜR 2 19†	LAU 1 13	LAU 2 15	SAC 1 10	SAC 2 12	HOC 1 17†	HOC 2 7	23rd	51

Complete GT World Challenge Europe results

GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	Pos.	Points
2022	Tresor by Car Collection	Audi R8 LMS Evo II	Silver	IMO	LEC	SPA 6H	SPA 12H	SPA 24H	HOC Ret	CAT 21	NC	0

GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Team	Car	Class	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	Pos.	Points
2023	Emil Frey Racing	Ferrari 296 GT3	Pro	BRH 1 7	BRH 2 14	MIS 1 5	MIS 2 5	HOC 1 4	HOC 2 6	VAL 1 2	VAL 2 3	ZAN 1 2	ZAN 2 8	4th	62.5
2024	Emil Frey Racing	Ferrari 296 GT3	Pro	BRH 1 11	BRH 2 2	MIS 1 3	MIS 2 4	HOC 1 8	HOC 2 22	MAG 1 4	MAG 2 10	CAT 1 10	CAT 2 6	6th	44

Complete Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11	12	13	14	15	16	Rank	Points
2023	Emil Frey Racing	Ferrari 296 GT3	OSC 1 15	OSC 2 16	ZAN 1 Ret	ZAN 2 Ret	NOR 1 20	NOR 2 21	NÜR 1 10	NÜR 2 8	LAU 1 9	LAU 2 9	SAC 1 10	SAC 2 5	RBR 1 DSQ	RBR 2 9	HOC 1 11	HOC 2 23	16th	58
2024	Emil Frey Racing	Ferrari 296 GT3	OSC 1 9	OSC 2 Ret	LAU 1 17	LAU 2 13	ZAN 1 15	ZAN 2 43	NOR 1 17	NOR 2 15	NÜR 1 16	NÜR 2 6	SAC 1 11	SAC 2 31	RBR 1 DSQ	RBR 2 13	HOC 1 13	HOC 2 11	15th	71

References

1. "Thierry Vermeulen - Karriere und Erfolge". speedsport-magazine.de. Retrieved 19 March 2023.
2. "Emil Frey Racing Confirm DTM & GT World Challenge Sprint Campaigns With Ferrari | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
3. "ADAC GT Masters Zandvoort 2022: Nächster Lambo-Sieg durch Costa/Aitken". Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Retrieved 5 April 2023.
4. ""Ein schöner Anblick": Audi-Pilot Thierry Vermeulen lässt mit P2 Zandvoort jubeln". de.motorsport.com (in German). 28 June 2022. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
5. Plümer, Jonas (13 November 2020). "GT4 European Series: Selleslagh Racing Team mit zwei Wagen beim Finale". gt-place.com (in Swiss High German). Retrieved 12 April 2023.
6. "STANDINGS ARCHIVE". Carrera Cup Benelux. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
7. "Thierry Vermeulen For High Class Audi At Kyalami | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 2 February 2022.
8. Plümer, Jonas (6 April 2022). "ADAC GT Masters: Thierry Vermeulen und Mattia Drudi für Car Collection" [ADAC GT Masters: Thierry Vermeulen and Mattia Drudi for Car Collection]. gt-place.com (in German). Retrieved 6 April 2022.
9. ""Ein schöner Anblick": Audi-Pilot Thierry Vermeulen lässt mit P2 Zandvoort jubeln". Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Retrieved 15 March 2024.
10. "Car Collection: Rookie Thierry Vermeulen "hat uns definitiv überrascht"". Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Retrieved 15 March 2024.
11. Lloyd, Daniel (24 February 2023). "Emil Frey Returns to Sprint Cup Alongside DTM". sportscar365.com. John Dagys Media. Retrieved 24 February 2023.
12. Vermeulen, Thierry (24 February 2023). "THIERRY VERMEULEN TAKES THE NEXT STEP TO CONTEST DTM". Thierry Vermeulen. Retrieved 5 April 2023.
13. "Verstappen über Schützling Vermeulen: "Immer innerhalb von zwei Zehnteln"". Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
14. "WRT-Duo erbt nach Strafe Position drei / GT World Challenge - SPEEDWEEK.COM". www.speedweek.com (in German). 2 September 2023. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
15. Hendrix, Niels (18 October 2023). "Thierry second in GT World Challenge in Zandvoort: 'Mixed emotions'". news.verstappen.com (in Dutch). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
16. "Standings Fanatec GT World Challenge Powered by AWS Sprint Cup Drivers 2023". Fanatec GT World Challenge Europe Powered by AWS. Retrieved 29 April 2024.
17. Euwema, Davey (6 March 2024). "Emil Frey Retains Aitken, Vermeulen for Second Season – Sportscar365". sportscar365.com. Retrieved 6 March 2024.
18. Plümer, Jonas (6 March 2024). "GT World Challenge Europe: Emil Frey Racing mit zwei Autos im Sprint Cup". GT-Place.com (in German). Retrieved 6 March 2024.
19. Wester, Robert Seiwert & Arno (29 April 2024). "Stinkefinger gegen Rene Rast: Vermeulen bei DTM-Auftakt verwarnt". Motorsport-Magazin.com (in German). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
20. Stritzke, Heiko (28 April 2024). "Kollision Rast/Vermeulen: Kommissare sehen Schuld beim Niederländer". motorsport-total.com.
21. "Wittmann Takes Race 2 Win At Zandvoort | dailysportscar.com". www.dailysportscar.com. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
22. "Thierry Vermeulen mit Sensations-Pole-Position / DTM - SPEEDWEEK.com". www.speedweek.com (in German). 8 September 2024. Retrieved 18 September 2024.
23. Seiwert, Robert (8 September 2024). "DTM Sachsenring: Vermeulen verliert Sieg wegen Strafe an Stolz - Mittelfinger für Rene Rast!". Motorsport-Magazin.com (in German). Retrieved 18 September 2024.
24. Thukral, Rachit (8 September 2024). "DTM Sachsenring: Stolz inherits race two win after Vermeulen penalty". motorsport.com.
25. "Vermeulen über Verstappen.com Racing: "Max will Plattform weiterentwickeln"". Motorsport-Total.com (in German). Retrieved 29 April 2024.
26. "Verstappen's father helping new youngster reach F1". Sports Mole. Retrieved 6 April 2023.
27. "INTERVIEW MIT DTM-PILOT THIERRY VERMEULEN VOR SEINEM HEIMSPIEL". motorsport-xl.de. 16 June 2023.
28. Plümer, Jonas (2 September 2022). "Thierry Vermeulen debütiert in GT World Challenge Europe" [Thierry Vermeulen makes debut in GT World Challenge Europe]. gt-place.com (in German). Retrieved 4 September 2022.

External links

• Thierry Vermeulen career summary at DriverDB.com