News Summary

Max Verstappen has publicly condemned the online abuse directed at Chris Lulham following the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale at Portimão, defending his teammate after a costly drive-through penalty compromised the team’s chances of fighting near the front.

The four-time Formula 1 world champion issued a statement on Sunday, October 18, after Lulham became the target of hostile messages over his collision with Luca Stolz during Saturday’s three-hour race. The incident occurred while the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry was competing among the leading cars, ultimately leaving Verstappen to begin his final stint in 24th place.

Although the Dutchman recovered to ninth in just 45 minutes, some supporters blamed Lulham for the missed opportunity. Verstappen responded by distinguishing legitimate criticism of the incident from personal harassment.

“Everyone can have their opinions about what happened on track, but these personal attacks are not okay,” Verstappen wrote on social media.

The Red Bull driver also emphasised that Lulham had delivered a competitive performance before the collision and that mistakes are an unavoidable part of racing.

Verstappen condemns abuse: ‘There’s no place for this’

Verstappen’s statement began with a positive assessment of his first GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup appearance, despite the team’s disappointing result.

“Exciting weekend! Was very happy to be racing our GT3 car in Portimão. There were some ups and downs, but as a team we learnt a lot,” he wrote.

However, the four-time champion then addressed the treatment of his British teammate directly.

“I also feel I need to speak up about the hate and harassment Chris has received after the race,” Verstappen said.

He defended Lulham’s contribution to the team’s performance, pointing out that the 23-year-old had been competitive before the incident that resulted in the penalty.

“Chris had a really strong stint and mistakes can happen,” he added.

Verstappen concluded with an unequivocal rejection of the attacks.

“There’s no place for this kind of abuse in our sport or anywhere else.”

The statement was published after the race rather than during the immediate aftermath of the collision. Verstappen had already acknowledged that the drive-through penalty was justified, but made clear that accepting the sporting decision did not mean tolerating personal attacks against his teammate.

Lulham’s collision costs Verstappen Racing a leading position

The incident occurred during Lulham’s middle stint in the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3, which he shared with Verstappen and Ben Barnicoat.

Barnicoat had completed a strong opening stint, recovering from a difficult qualifying position and bringing the car into contention for a leading result. Lulham continued that progress, moving into sixth place before attempting to overtake Stolz’s No. 48 Mercedes at Turn 8.

The two cars made contact, sending Stolz into a spin. Race control considered Lulham responsible and imposed a drive-through penalty, which he served before handing the car to Verstappen.

As GRANDE PRÊMIO explained in its analysis of the Portimão race, the Mercedes had been running sixth before the incident but dropped significantly down the order after the penalty and subsequent driver change.

Verstappen entered the race in 24th with approximately 45 minutes remaining, recovering 15 positions through traffic and overtaking several Pro-class competitors during the closing stages.

His recovery included a late pass on Arthur Leclerc’s Ferrari, securing ninth place before the chequered flag.

The result demonstrated that the No. 3 Mercedes was considerably more competitive in race conditions than during qualifying, when Verstappen Racing had struggled with bouncing and handling problems.

However, the available race data does not establish whether the team would have won without the penalty. Verstappen Racing had been fighting near the front, but the leading GetSpeed Mercedes remained competitive throughout the race.

Maro Engel joins Verstappen in defending Lulham

Verstappen was not the only driver to criticise the online attacks.

Mercedes-AMG factory driver Maro Engel, who is associated with the No. 48 Winward Racing entry involved in the collision, also expressed support for Lulham.

“Fully agree with Max,” Engel wrote on Instagram.

“It’s sport. Not more, not less. Mistakes happen, but there is no room for personal attacks.”

Engel’s intervention was particularly significant because the incident directly affected the Mercedes entry with which he is associated.

The German driver reinforced Verstappen’s distinction between holding a competitor responsible for an on-track mistake and directing personal abuse towards that driver.

Barnicoat also praised his teammates after the race, thanking Lulham and Verstappen for their efforts throughout the weekend.

“Amazing effort by Chris Lulham and Max Verstappen in every session and every stint, thanks for being awesome teammates!” he wrote on Instagram.

Verstappen and Lulham’s partnership began in sim racing

Lulham’s relationship with Verstappen extends beyond their recent GT3 appearances.

The British driver developed his career through sim racing and became involved with Verstappen’s online racing organisation before progressing into real-world GT competition.

The two have worked together for several years, with Verstappen supporting Lulham’s transition from virtual racing into professional motorsport.

Their partnership produced a victory at the Nürburgring Nordschleife in September 2025, demonstrating the potential of the programme to develop competitive drivers through simulator racing.

Portimão represented another stage in that relationship, with Lulham joining Verstappen and Barnicoat for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale.

The event was Verstappen’s first appearance in the championship’s endurance series, taking advantage of Formula 1’s scheduled break between Singapore and Austin.

Despite the disappointing result, Verstappen described the weekend as a valuable learning experience for the team.

The Dutchman now returns to Formula 1 for the United States Grand Prix at Circuit of The Americas on October 23–25, where he will attempt to extend his winning streak after victories in Malaysia and Singapore.

GRANDE PRÊMIO’s analysis of Red Bull’s recent improvement examines the recovery that has returned Verstappen to the front of the Formula 1 field.