News Summary
- Verstappen Racing improved from 20th in FP1 to fourth in FP2 at Portimão.
- Chris Lulham recorded 1:43.229, finishing 0.241s behind the fastest car.
- Max Verstappen, Lulham and Ben Barnicoat now face qualifying ahead of Saturday’s three-hour GT World Challenge Europe finale.
Max Verstappen’s GT World Challenge Europe team recovered from a difficult opening practice session to finish fourth in FP2 at Portimão on Friday, October 16, putting its Mercedes-AMG GT3 among the leading contenders before qualifying for the championship’s three-hour season finale.
The No. 3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry, shared by Verstappen, Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat, had finished only 20th in the first free practice session, with a best lap of 1:43.046. However, the team climbed 16 positions in the afternoon classification as Lulham recorded a 1:43.229, leaving the trio just 0.241 seconds behind the fastest car.
The session was led by the No. 17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed entry, which set a 1:42.988. The result placed Verstappen Racing second among the Pro-class competitors, strengthening its prospects before the decisive qualifying sessions.
The improvement was particularly encouraging after Verstappen’s first official practice appearance had been overshadowed by an incident involving another competitor.
Verstappen Racing recovers after difficult opening session
The team’s first practice session began with an incident involving Verstappen and Ezequiel Pérez Companc at Turn 3.
The four-time Formula 1 world champion made contact with the Audi during the opening lap, sending the rival car into a spin. Race officials investigated the collision and subsequently issued Verstappen a reprimand and one behaviour warning point.
As GRANDE PRÊMIO reported following the stewards’ decision, the officials concluded that Verstappen had caused an avoidable collision, although mitigating circumstances reduced the severity of the sanction.
The incident did not prevent the team from continuing its preparation, but the No. 3 Mercedes finished the morning session well down the overall order.
The second practice session produced a much more competitive classification.
Lulham delivered the crew’s fastest lap, putting the Mercedes inside the overall top five and close to the benchmark established by GetSpeed.
However, the improvement in position should not be confused with a reduction in absolute lap time. The No. 3 Mercedes was 0.183 seconds slower in FP2 than in FP1, despite climbing from 20th to fourth.
The different session conditions and competitors’ programmes mean that the two classifications cannot be treated as a direct measure of the car’s underlying performance improvement.
Nevertheless, the afternoon result demonstrated that the Verstappen Racing crew remained competitive against the leading Pro-class entries.
Verstappen admits he is still adapting to GT3 racing
Verstappen’s participation at Portimão comes during a rare break in the Formula 1 calendar, between the Singapore and United States Grands Prix.
The Dutchman has increasingly expanded his involvement in endurance racing, combining his Formula 1 commitments with GT3 testing and selected competition appearances.
However, he acknowledged before the weekend that the GT World Challenge Europe presents a different challenge from the endurance events he has previously contested.
“I’m here to win. That’s always the target,” Verstappen said during the build-up to the event.
The Red Bull driver also admitted that he was still adapting to the Mercedes-AMG GT3 and the Algarve circuit, explaining that his previous GT3 experience had largely come from the Nürburgring Nordschleife.
Verstappen described the Mercedes as well balanced but emphasised the need to gain experience, particularly because he is sharing the car with two teammates in a highly competitive field.
“I’m stepping a little bit out of my comfort zone by driving this kind of car, but I love it,” he said.
The challenge is intensified by the strength of the GT World Challenge Europe field, where several experienced factory drivers compete in identical or closely matched GT3 machinery.
For Verstappen, the weekend also requires adaptation to a different race format. Unlike Formula 1, the three-hour endurance race will involve driver changes, shared strategy and the need to manage traffic across several classes.
Lulham and Barnicoat lead Verstappen Racing’s challenge
Verstappen is sharing the No. 3 Mercedes with Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat, replacing the team’s usual drivers Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, who have conflicting commitments in the World Endurance Championship at Barcelona.
Lulham’s performance in FP2 reinforced his importance to the team’s qualifying preparations.
The British driver has already played a significant role in Verstappen’s GT3 programme, combining endurance racing with the simulator experience that helped establish his relationship with the four-time Formula 1 champion.
Barnicoat brings additional experience from international sports-car racing, including competition in IMSA and previous factory programmes.
The trio must combine their individual speed with consistency across the qualifying sessions, where the final grid position will depend on the performances of all three drivers.
Verstappen Racing had already demonstrated its potential during Thursday’s paid test, when Lulham set a 1:43.076 to finish second overall, just 0.102 seconds behind the fastest car.
The team completed 43 laps during that session, focusing on car balance, data collection and driver-change procedures.
That preparation has become particularly important because Saturday’s race will be Verstappen’s first appearance in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup.
When is Verstappen’s GTWC qualifying at Portimão?
Qualifying for the GT World Challenge Europe finale takes place on Friday, October 16, beginning at 18:55 local time in Portugal, equivalent to 13:55 in Brasília, 18:55 BST in the United Kingdom and 13:55 EDT in New York.
The session uses the championship’s endurance qualifying format, with each member of the three-driver crew completing a qualifying segment.
The combined performance determines the starting order for Saturday’s three-hour race.
The main race is scheduled for Saturday, October 17, with the start at 18:00 local time in Portugal, corresponding to 13:00 in Brasília and 18:00 BST.
Fans can consult GRANDE PRÊMIO’s international guide to Verstappen’s Portimão qualifying and live coverage for the full timetable across the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, India, Australia and New Zealand.
The event also features Valentino Rossi, bringing two world champions from different motorsport disciplines onto the same GT3 grid. GRANDE PRÊMIO examined their Portimão meeting ahead of the weekend.
GRANDE PRÊMIO will continue following Verstappen’s GT3 appearance, qualifying and the race through its endurance racing coverage.
