Max Verstappen's highly anticipated GT3 endurance debut was overshadowed by a wave of online harassment directed at his teammate following a dramatic finale at the Portimao circuit in Portugal. Racing alongside Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat in the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry for the three-hour Endurance Cup showdown, the four-time Formula 1 champion was forced to publicly condemn the abuse.
The weekend held immense promise for the squad before a crucial turning point arrived with an hour and 10 minutes remaining. Lulham, attempting an overtake on Luca Stolz's #48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter machine, made contact that sent his opponent spinning, ultimately drawing a costly drive-through penalty from race control.
While penalties are a normal part of motorsport, the aftermath spilled over into unacceptable territory as the 23-year-old British driver became the target of severe personal attacks and abusive messages across social media platforms. Prompted by the toxicity, Verstappen took a firm stance to protect his teammate.
"I also feel I need to speak up about the hate and harassment Chris has received after the race," Verstappen stated. "Everyone can have their opinions about what happened on track, but these personal attacks are not okay. Chris had a really strong stint and mistakes can happen. There’s no place for this kind of abuse in our sport or anywhere else."
Despite the penalty dropping them deep down the order to 24th during his own stint, Verstappen still found plenty of positives in his first taste of GT World Challenge Europe action. He orchestrated a brilliant recovery drive through heavy traffic in the final 45 minutes to salvage a ninth-place finish.
"Ben had a really great first stint staying out of the carnage at the start and driving us to the front. Chris also started his stint really strong, putting himself in a good position," Verstappen reflected. "But then, unfortunately, a little bit of an opportunistic move on the other car ahead meant that, of course, we received a deserved drive-through penalty."
The team's weekend had initially started on the back foot following a setup mistake in qualifying that hindered their single-lap performance. However, quick overnight adjustments made the car significantly more raceable, allowing Barnicoat and Lulham to carve their way through the field before the dramatic incident unfolded.
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