Max Verstappen is set to return to GT racing. The four-time Formula 1 world champion has been confirmed for a three-hour endurance event at Portimao on October 18. This will be his first GT race since making his Nurburgring 24 debut with his eponymous Verstappen Racing in May.
The decision comes after a clash between the GT World Challenge Europe finale and the FIA World Endurance Championship round in Barcelona on the same weekend. Verstappen Racing's regular drivers, Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon, are unavailable due to their respective WEC commitments with Genesis and Alpine. This opens the door for Verstappen to step in.
“I know that two of my drivers won’t be part of the line-up, so two other drivers need to step in,” Verstappen said. “I’m looking forward to it. It’s going to be a busy seven weeks, but we’ll do it, and I enjoy it anyway. Let’s see what we can do there.”
The Portimao outing will come during a particularly intense run for Verstappen, who is set to race across seven consecutive weekends before reaching his next break in November. It also continues the Dutchman’s expansion into GT competition through his own Verstappen Racing operation, which has raced with Mercedes-AMG machinery this season after previously using cars from Ferrari and Aston Martin.
Fernando Alonso's name was brought into the conversation after the Aston Martin driver teased that he could have further surprises to reveal in the coming weeks. However, Verstappen quickly ruled out the Spaniard. “No, he’s not driving with me,” Verstappen said. “I don’t know what he means by that, but no, from my side, it’s all clear, we know what we want to do. Of course, I would have loved to see my normal drivers compete, but the calendar has changed at times, and that’s okay. I love Portimao. I love being in Portugal. So we’ll try and have a good weekend.”
While Alonso will not share the car at Portimao, the pair have previously discussed competing together in endurance racing further into the future, including Le Mans. Verstappen recently revealed the two had spoken about potentially combining for an eventual Le Mans campaign, although the race itself is not part of his plans for 2027. Instead, Verstappen has identified two other major endurance events as possibilities for next season. “Nurburgring and Spa, probably,” he said in Baku when asked about his 2027 plans. “Le Mans, that’s not on my list for now. I said already, after the race at the Nordschleife, that I wanted to go back. If it allows me to prepare well, I know there is no clash, but it still needs to work out in my schedule, then I’ll do it. And Spa.”
With a packed schedule and big ambitions, Verstappen's appearance at Portimao will be one to watch. Can he replicate his impressive performance at the Nurburgring, where he led before a technical failure struck? We'll find out.
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