This weekend, Max Verstappen will be back on track despite it not being an F1 race weekend, as he has entered the GT World Challenge Europe at Portimao. The Dutch driver got a taste of endurance racing earlier this season at the Nordschleife when he entered into a race with his Red Bull-sponsored Mercedes-AMG GT3 machinery.
This is not his first time racing at Portimao, having previously raced around the Portuguese circuit in F1 machinery and admitting it is a brilliant track. I’ve always loved being in Portugal, and I’ve spent time here with friends and family, Verstappen said in a Q&A session with GTWCE ahead of the official track action.
When I saw the calendar clash between GT World Challenge and the FIA World Endurance Championship, I was like, I don’t mind stepping in! It’s a brilliant track and a great environment to come to for fans and families. It’s a very beautiful place, he added after jumping back into his Mercedes on Thursday, the 15th of October, for testing ahead of the race weekend.
When asked about his test session ahead of the weekend, he stated, It’s been alright. Of course, my references are from the Nurburgring Nordschleife, so it took a bit of time to get used to driving the car at this track. But the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is very well-balanced, and it has proven over the last few years that it’s also very competitive.
Today we were just fine-tuning a few details. It’s still quite hot for this time of year, and you have to take that into account as well. Of course, you want to go faster; you want to do better. For myself, I’m getting up to speed, and the more laps I do, the better it gets, the reigning F1 world champion explained regarding his adaptation process.
The level of drivers in the GTWCE field for this weekend is very high according to Verstappen, as he will share the track with established names such as Valentino Rossi and Arthur Leclerc. It’s a very high level. Some of them I’ve raced already in the past when we were younger, Verstappen noted.
Some are a bit older than me, but they’ve achieved a lot all over the world. I think the level shows why there are so many cars on the grid: you want to compete in one of the highest GT championships. There are so many good drivers with so much experience and they drive these GT3 cars day in day out. Naturally, you see that the margins are very small. I’m getting a bit out of my comfort zone driving this type of car, but I love it. I love competing in all types of categories.
Finally, when asked about his expectations for this weekend, Verstappen concluded with a competitive statement. To have fun, obviously, but also the competitive animal wants to do well, right? We’re here to win. That’s always the target. Read our in-depth analysis to stay updated with all motorsport action.
Baca Juga
Simak analisis lengkap perombakan pembalap muda Ferrari Driver Academy 2027. Cek profil talenta baru dan promosi jenjang formula di sini.
Simak analisis mendalam desain sirkuit Grand Prix Afrika 2030 di Rwanda yang menjanjikan pertarungan sengit. Baca selengkapnya di sini!
Max Verstappen diganjar teguran steward GT World Challenge Europe di Portimao. Baca analisis lengkap insiden dan jadwal akhir pekan ini di sini.
Lanjutkan dengan Google
Diskusi & Komentar (0)
Mari Bergabung dalam Diskusi!
Masuk dengan mudah untuk mulai memberikan komentar, membalas, dan berinteraksi dengan pembaca lainnya.
Komentar Terbaru
Belum ada komentar. Jadilah yang pertama!