Max Verstappen is set to make a surprise return to GT3 racing, and it's not just any race. The four-time F1 champion will contest the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portimao, Portugal, on 16-18 October, driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by 2 Seas Motorsport under the Verstappen Racing banner.
What makes the grid at Portimao particularly intriguing: Verstappen will share the track with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, who will be competing for BMW's factory-supported WRT team in the same Pro category. It will be the first time the two share a racing grid.
Verstappen's appearance in the SRO series came together late, and for good reason. A change to the World Endurance Championship calendar left full-season Verstappen Racing drivers Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella unavailable due to a clash with the Barcelona 6 Hours. Gounon will race for Alpine, while Juncadella will drive for Genesis on the same weekend.
With that, Verstappen decided to step in himself. "I know that two of my drivers won't be part of the line-up. Two other drivers need to step in. I'm looking forward to it," he said, as quoted by Motorsport.com. "Of course, I would have loved to see my normal drivers compete, but the calendar has changed at times. And that's OK. I love Portimao. I love being in Portugal. So we'll try and have a good weekend."
Verstappen has been increasingly devoting more time to his sportscar racing endeavours. After the Nurburgring 24 Hours in May, Portimao marks his second GT3 outing of the season. He is already planning ahead: a return to the Nordschleife for a second crack at the Nurburgring 24 Hours next year, and adding the Spa-Francorchamps 24 Hours to his 2027 schedule. However, he has shut down any talks of racing Ford's new Hypercar at the Le Mans 24 Hours.
With the addition of the Portimao event, Verstappen is set for the busiest stretch of his season: seven consecutive races between last weekend's Azerbaijan GP and the Brazilian GP on 8 November. "It's going to be a busy seven weeks, but we'll do it and I enjoy it anyway. So, let's see what we can do there," he added.
For motorsport fans, the weekend at Portimao is more than just Verstappen vs Rossi. It's a rare meeting of two worlds: an F1 driver at the peak of his career, taking on a MotoGP icon who has proven himself on four wheels. The challenging, undulating circuit of Portimao will be the perfect stage for this duel.
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