Max Verstappen will add a Portimão GT3 race to his packed Formula 1 calendar. That detour brings elite sports car racing into a demanding run of Grand Prix commitments. You can follow how the Algarve event fits his wider motorsport plans.
Max Verstappen has confirmed a Mercedes-AMG GT3 start at Portimão, between his Formula 1 duties. The Red Bull Racing driver joins the GT World Challenge Europe finale under the Verstappen Racing banner. This rare crossover for a champion puts an F1 star into the series’ Pro category. The race takes place at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve on 16–18 October.
Verstappen’s Portimão GT3 race and rivals
Verstappen will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by 2 Seas Motorsport under his team banner. His Portimão GT3 debut marks his first start in SRO’s GT World Challenge. MotoGP great Valentino Rossi will race in the same Pro category for BMW’s factory-supported WRT team. The entry adds a compelling GT3 racing contest to the weekend.
Chris Lulham is set to join Verstappen, but the third seat has not been confirmed. Verstappen has ruled out a possible partnership with Fernando Alonso. His regular drivers Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella will race at Barcelona’s six-hour WEC event. That clash leaves the Portimão seat open for another driver in the team’s lineup.
Portimão adds pressure to Verstappen’s F1 calendar
The Algarve event lands amid a dense run of Formula 1 commitments. Verstappen described the seven-week stretch as busy, but said he enjoys the challenge. His packed seven-race calendar runs from Azerbaijan through the Brazilian Grand Prix on 8 November. The extra start puts his race calendar under fresh scrutiny.
A late change to the World Endurance Championship schedule left Verstappen Racing’s full-season drivers unavailable. Gounon will race for Alpine, while Juncadella represents Genesis at the Barcelona 6 Hours. The Portimão date therefore fills a gap in the team’s lineup, not Verstappen’s F1 schedule. It also places sports car racing between Grand Prix duties during an intense period.
For Verstappen, the switch extends a clear interest in GT3 and endurance racing. This will be his first GT3 outing since the Nürburgring 24 Hours in May. A late mechanical issue denied his crew a shot at victory there. Now, the Portimão start offers another test in endurance racing.
Verstappen Racing’s wider sports car plans
Verstappen Racing has expanded its programme for 2026, and Portimão fits that broader direction. He aims to return to the Nordschleife for another Nürburgring 24 Hours attempt next year. His future sports car ambitions also include the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours in 2027. Those plans keep motorsport beyond Formula 1 firmly in view.
Verstappen has ruled out talk of a Le Mans start in Ford’s new Hypercar. His stated plans instead point to the Nordschleife and Spa. Portimão brings those ambitions into sharper focus without changing his Red Bull Racing role. For fans, the GT3 return signals sustained commitment to competition beyond single-seaters.
