MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi is set to tackle the upcoming GT World Challenge Europe season finale with a fresh face sharing his garage at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. As the championship reaches its thrilling conclusion with an endurance-format race, teams are required to field three drivers per car rather than the usual two-driver pairing seen in the Sprint Cup events.
Throughout the campaign, the nine-time grand prix motorcycle world champion has typically shared driving duties alongside Max Hesse in sprint rounds, with endurance entries traditionally completed by a third driver. However, scheduling complications have forced a late alteration to the lineup for the final weekend of the calendar as teams navigate overlapping motorsport commitments across Europe.
The root cause of this sudden adjustment stems from a direct clash with the penultimate FIA World Endurance Championship round taking place in Barcelona. Although GTWCE organizers attempted to mitigate the issue by shifting their race schedule to Saturday, it ultimately failed to resolve availability conflicts for drivers competing across multiple high-profile championships.
Confirming the lineup change ahead of the event, WRT released a brief statement explaining the situation, noting, "Due to a clash with the FIA WEC, Dan Harper will miss the final round of the GT World Challenge Europe at Portimao. Stepping in for him is his BMW M Motorsport and IMSA team-mate, and recently crowned GTD PRO Champion, Neil Verhagen." Consequently, Dan Harper steps aside from the Portimao grid.
Stepping into the seat alongside Rossi and Hesse is Neil Verhagen, a 25-year-old Gold-rated FIA driver from the United States who arrives with impressive credentials. Having recently clinched the IMSA GTD Pro title following success at Daytona and strong podium finishes throughout the year, the American driver brings valuable experience from his previous outings at Spa, Monza, and the Nurburgring.
Read Also
Alex Lynn resmi tinggalkan Cadillac demi gabung program Hypercar McLaren WEC 2027. Simak analisis mendalam perpindahan pembalap ini di sini!
Cadillac JOTA rombak line-up WEC 2027 dengan merekrut Antonio Felix da Costa dan Ricky Taylor. Simak analisis lengkap dan persiapan tim di sini!
Simak analisis lengkap perjuangan Ferrari di WEC Barcode 2026 dan update peluang gelar juara dunia. Baca ulasan mendalam selengkapnya di sini!
Continue with Google
Discussion (0)
Join the Discussion!
Sign in easily to start commenting, replying, and interacting with other readers.
Latest Comments
No comments yet. Be the first!