Four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen will make his GT World Challenge Europe debut in the season-ending round at Portimão on 16-18 October, sharing the track with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.
The Red Bull driver confirmed on Thursday that he will take the controls of the #3 Mercedes-AMG entered by his own Team Verstappen Racing outfit for the three-hour Endurance Cup race that closes the championship. He will share the car with full-season driver Chris Lulham and the experienced Briton Ben Barnicoat.
The confirmation sets up a rare cross-discipline showdown. Rossi, the nine-time world motorcycle champion, has raced in the GT World Challenge for Team WRT's BMW squad since swapping two wheels for four, and the Portimão finale will put two of the biggest names in modern motorsport on the same grid.
Verstappen's entry is forced by the calendar rather than choice. The Portimão weekend clashes with the rescheduled penultimate round of the FIA World Endurance Championship at the Circuit de Barcelona-Catalunya, and two of his regular drivers — Jules Gounon, an Alpine Hypercar driver in the WEC, and Dani Juncadella, part of the Genesis Magma Racing line-up — will be on WEC duty that weekend.
"Well, I know that two of my drivers won't be part of the line-up, so two other drivers need to step in, and I'm looking forward to it," Verstappen said. "It's going to be a busy seven weeks, but I enjoy it anyway, so yeah, let's see what we can do there."
Verstappen has made no secret of his passion for GT racing. He made his endurance debut at the ADAC RAVENOL Nürburgring 24 Hours this year alongside Gounon, Juncadella and Lucas Auer, and his Verstappen Racing squad has been on the GT World Challenge grid since 2025. Stepping up to the Pro class this season with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, the team scored its maiden overall victory in the Sprint Cup round at Magny-Cours and took a first Endurance Cup podium at the Nürburgring.
The Dutchman also brushed off talk of a shared garage with Fernando Alonso, who has hinted at surprises in GT racing. "No, no, no, he's not driving with me!" Verstappen said.
Portimão is familiar territory for Verstappen, who has twice finished on the Formula 1 podium at the Algarve circuit. With 60 GT3 cars expected and titles also on the line for the GT2 European Series, GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy Europe, the finale offers more than eight hours of racing.
Sources
https://www.crash.net/f1/news/1105924/1/max-verstappen-race-against-valentino-rossi-gt-world-challenge-finale https://www.gt-world-challenge-europe.com/news/3327/max-verstappen-to-contest-gt-world-finale-at-portimao
