{"id":3135,"date":"2026-10-01T07:15:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-01T10:15:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=3135"},"modified":"2026-10-01T07:01:27","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T10:01:27","slug":"verstappen-adds-portimao-gt3-race-to-packed-f1-schedule","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/endurance\/verstappen-adds-portimao-gt3-race-to-packed-f1-schedule\/","title":{"rendered":"Verstappen adds Portim\u00e3o GT3 race to packed F1 schedule"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Summary<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Verstappen will contest the three-hour GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portim\u00e3o.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>He joins Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat in the No. 3 Mercedes, replacing drivers unavailable because of their WEC commitments.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The appearance creates seven consecutive race weekends for the four-time F1 champion.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Max Verstappen has confirmed another appearance outside <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/\">Formula 1<\/a>, adding the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portim\u00e3o to an already crowded autumn schedule. The four-time world champion will drive the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 under the Verstappen Racing banner in the three-hour race on Saturday, 17 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen will share the car with Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat, according to the driver\u2019s official website. The entry is operated by 2 Seas Motorsport and gives the Red Bull driver his first appearance in GT World Challenge Europe, where the field also includes Valentino Rossi in a BMW run by WRT. <a href=\"https:\/\/news.verstappen.com\/en\/article\/6291\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The opportunity arose because regular drivers Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella have commitments at the World Endurance Championship\u2019s Barcelona round on the same weekend. Verstappen and Barnicoat will step in alongside Lulham to complete the Portuguese line-up.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Speaking at Sepang ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, Verstappen welcomed the opportunity despite the additional demands on his calendar.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI know that two of my drivers won\u2019t be part of the line-up, so two other drivers will have to take their places. I\u2019m looking forward to it. It will be seven intense weeks, but we\u2019ll go for it and I\u2019m excited anyway. Let\u2019s see what we can achieve,\u201d Verstappen said in Baku for the preparation of Bahrain GP in Malaysia.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verstappen fills his only break between two F1 triple-headers<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Portim\u00e3o appearance means Verstappen will race on seven consecutive weekends. The sequence began with the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and continues through Malaysia and Singapore before he switches from his Red Bull F1 car to the Mercedes GT3.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Portugal occupies the weekend between Singapore and the next Formula 1 triple-header. Verstappen will then return to the championship for the United States, Mexico City and S\u00e3o Paulo Grands Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Event<\/th><th>Race date<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Azerbaijan Grand Prix<\/td><td>26 September<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia<\/td><td>4 October<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Singapore Grand Prix<\/td><td>11 October<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>GT World Challenge Europe, Portim\u00e3o<\/td><td>17 October<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>United States Grand Prix<\/td><td>25 October<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Mexico City Grand Prix<\/td><td>1 November<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>S\u00e3o Paulo Grand Prix<\/td><td>8 November<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The commitment adds another endurance appearance to Verstappen\u2019s season following his participation in the N\u00fcrburgring 24 Hours in May. At Portim\u00e3o, he will compete in a different championship and race format while returning to a circuit he enjoys.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">\u201cI love the track and being in Portugal, so we will try to have a good weekend,\u201d Verstappen said on his official website. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1012\" height=\"675\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Max-Verstappen-24-Horas-de-Nurburgring-2026.webp\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-1010402883\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Max-Verstappen-24-Horas-de-Nurburgring-2026.webp 1012w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Max-Verstappen-24-Horas-de-Nurburgring-2026-300x200.webp 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Max-Verstappen-24-Horas-de-Nurburgring-2026-768x512.webp 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/Max-Verstappen-24-Horas-de-Nurburgring-2026-150x100.webp 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1012px) 100vw, 1012px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Max Verstappen (Foto: Red Bull Content Pool)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Gounon and Juncadella cannot race at Portim\u00e3o<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Gounon and Juncadella will prioritise their Hypercar programmes at the <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/endurance\/wec\/\">World Endurance Championship<\/a> round in Barcelona. Gounon drives Alpine\u2019s No. 36, while Juncadella competes in the No. 19 Genesis.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The calendar clash has prompted adjustments to both events. GT World Challenge Europe moved its three-hour finale from Sunday to Saturday evening to help drivers, teams and other personnel involved in both championships.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The WEC is also adapting its timetable, including plans to separate the qualifying sessions for LMGT3 and Hypercar. Those measures do not allow Gounon and Juncadella to join the Verstappen Racing entry in Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Portim\u00e3o\u2019s revised schedule places qualifying on Friday, 16 October, at 17:55 local time. The race begins at 17:00 on Saturday and runs for three hours.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time does Verstappen\u2019s Portim\u00e3o race start?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The scheduled start corresponds to 17:00 in Portugal and the UK, 12:00 Eastern time in the United States and Canada, and 21:30 in India. Fans in Sydney and Melbourne will follow the start at 03:00 on Sunday, 18 October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><thead><tr><th>Location<\/th><th>Race start<\/th><\/tr><\/thead><tbody><tr><td>Portugal and UK<\/td><td>Saturday, 17 October \u2014 17:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>New York and Toronto<\/td><td>Saturday, 17 October \u2014 12:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Los Angeles and Vancouver<\/td><td>Saturday, 17 October \u2014 09:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>India<\/td><td>Saturday, 17 October \u2014 21:30<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Sydney and Melbourne<\/td><td>Sunday, 18 October \u2014 03:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>Bras\u00edlia<\/td><td>Saturday, 17 October \u2014 13:00<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong><a href=\"https:\/\/youtube.com\/@grandepremio\">GRANDE PR\u00caMIO\u2019s sister operation in Brazil<\/a> broadcasts the complete GT World Challenge Europe season live, including the Portim\u00e3o finale.<\/strong> That coverage also includes the championship\u2019s Barcelona event from 2\u20134 October, before attention turns to the deciding round in Portugal.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen\u2019s immediate focus remains Sepang, where Formula 1 practice begins on Friday. His GT3 appearance follows the Malaysian and Singapore rounds, extending his racing programme through the championship\u2019s next scheduled break.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">F1 today: FAQ<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time is F1 qualifying at Sepang?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Qualifying starts on Saturday, 3 October, at 16:00 Malaysia time. That is 09:00 BST in the UK, 04:00 EDT in New York and Toronto, 01:00 PDT in Los Angeles and Vancouver, 13:30 IST in India and 18:00 AEST in Sydney. <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/f1\/what-time-is-f1-qualifying-at-sepang-saturday-fp3-and-qualifying-schedule\/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Did Lewis Hamilton receive a grid penalty for the Bortoleto incident?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">No. Hamilton received a warning after impeding Gabriel Bortoleto during FP2 at Sepang. Ferrari was fined \u20ac10,000, but Hamilton will not lose grid positions over the incident. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.skysports.com\/f1\/video\/13594263\/bahrain-gp-in-malaysia-lewis-hamilton-under-investigation-for-allegedly-impeding-gabriel-bortoleto?utm_source=chatgpt.com\"> <\/a><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why were F1 lap times at Sepang over four seconds slower than expected?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Pirelli identified low grip, dust and an abrasive surface that increased tyre sliding and degradation. Friday\u2019s benchmark was more than four seconds slower than its qualifying simulation reference, rather than four seconds slower than the 2017 race weekend.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Is Max Verstappen racing at Portim\u00e3o in 2026?<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Yes. Verstappen has confirmed his participation in the GT World Challenge Europe finale on Saturday, 17 October.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Max Verstappen will race a Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat on 17 October, filling the gap between two Formula 1 triple-headers.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020315785,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Max Verstappen","42wp_featured_image_credits":"Red Bull Content Pool","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":31,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[46],"tags":[667,64,605,666],"42wp_author":[31],"class_list":["post-3135","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-endurance","tag-gt-world-challenge-europe","tag-max-verstappen","tag-portimao","tag-verstappen-racing","42wp_author-bernardo-castro"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3135","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3135"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3135\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3136,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3135\/revisions\/3136"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020315785"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3135"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3135"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3135"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=3135"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}