{"id":4130,"date":"2026-10-17T12:40:00","date_gmt":"2026-10-17T15:40:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/?p=4130"},"modified":"2026-10-17T12:43:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-17T15:43:59","slug":"what-time-will-max-verstappen-drive-in-portimao-gtwc-race-team-has-decided","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/endurance\/what-time-will-max-verstappen-drive-in-portimao-gtwc-race-team-has-decided\/","title":{"rendered":"What time will Max Verstappen drive in Portim\u00e3o GTWC race? Team has decided"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">News Summary<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Ben Barnicoat will start the three-hour Portim\u00e3o race<\/strong> in the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing #3.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Chris Lulham will drive the second stint<\/strong>, with Max Verstappen confirmed as the final driver.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Verstappen is expected to take over during the final hour, although the precise timing will depend on pit-stop strategy and race interruptions.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Max Verstappen will drive the final stint of Saturday&#8217;s GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup race at Portim\u00e3o<\/strong>, with Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing choosing to leave the four-time Formula 1 world champion in charge of bringing its No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 to the chequered flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team has confirmed that <strong>Ben Barnicoat will start the three-hour race, Chris Lulham will take over for the middle stint and Verstappen will complete the final part<\/strong>. The decision means fans hoping to watch the Red Bull driver in action will need to wait until the closing stages rather than the start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race begins at <strong>17:00 local time in Portugal, equivalent to 13:00 in Bras\u00edlia, 12:00 in New York and 17:00 in London<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Under a conventional three-stint strategy, Verstappen would take over at approximately <strong>19:00 in Portugal, 15:00 in Bras\u00edlia, 14:00 in New York and 19:00 in London<\/strong>. However, that is only an estimate, not an officially confirmed driver-change time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why Verstappen will not start the Portim\u00e3o race<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen Racing has opted to use Barnicoat for the opening hour, giving the experienced British endurance driver responsibility for negotiating the crowded start.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The field features more than 60 GT3 cars, with competitors divided into several classes and frequent traffic expected around the Algarve circuit.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Barnicoat brings considerable experience of multiclass racing, including factory programmes and major endurance events in North America.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Lulham will then take over for the middle part of the race before Verstappen enters the car for the final stint.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Dutchman will therefore be responsible for the team&#8217;s closing laps, including any late battles for position and the final run to the chequered flag.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen is competing in the event during Formula 1&#8217;s scheduled weekend off between the Singapore and United States Grands Prix.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1000\" height=\"666\" src=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/timthumb-15.jpeg\" alt=\"GTWC EUROPA 2026, PORTIM\u00c3O, MERCEDES #3, VERSTAPPEN RACING, MAX VERSTAPPEN\" class=\"wp-image-1020318340\" srcset=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/timthumb-15.jpeg 1000w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/timthumb-15-300x200.jpeg 300w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/timthumb-15-768x511.jpeg 768w, https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/timthumb-15-150x100.jpeg 150w\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1000px) 100vw, 1000px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Max Verstappen (Photo: GTWC Europe)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">What time will Verstappen enter the Mercedes?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race is scheduled to last three hours, with each driver completing approximately one hour behind the wheel.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The expected sequence is:<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-fixed-layout\"><tbody><tr><th>Stint<\/th><th>Driver<\/th><th>Approximate time in Portugal<\/th><th>Bras\u00edlia (BRT)<\/th><\/tr><tr><td>1<\/td><td><strong>B. BARNICOAT<\/strong><\/td><td>17:00\u201318:00<\/td><td>13:00\u201314:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>2<\/td><td><strong>C. LULHAM<\/strong><\/td><td>18:00\u201319:00<\/td><td>14:00\u201315:00<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>3<\/td><td><strong>M. VERSTAPPEN<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>19:00\u201320:00<\/strong><\/td><td><strong>15:00\u201316:00<\/strong><\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><em>These are estimated stint windows, not confirmed pit-stop times. Safety-car periods, Full Course Yellow procedures, race strategy and minimum driving-time requirements may change the schedule.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For viewers in other major markets, <strong>Verstappen&#8217;s estimated entry time is 14:00 EDT in New York, 11:00 PDT in Los Angeles, 23:30 IST in India, 05:00 AEDT on Sunday in Melbourne and 07:00 NZDT on Sunday in Auckland<\/strong>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Verstappen Racing faces recovery drive at Portim\u00e3o<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing crew qualified in the midfield after struggling to find a competitive setup on Friday.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The No. 3 Mercedes recorded a combined qualifying average of <strong>1:42.624<\/strong>, more than half a second behind the pole-sitting Boutsen VDS Porsche.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The result contrasted with the team&#8217;s performance in free practice, when Lulham had placed the car fourth overall.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">As <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/endurance\/verstappen-suffers-portimao-qualifying-setback-as-mercedes-struggles-and-porsche-takes-gtwc-pole\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO reported after qualifying<\/strong><\/a>, the drivers experienced bouncing and handling difficulties that prevented them from reproducing their practice pace.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Verstappen also received a reprimand following contact with another competitor during Friday&#8217;s opening practice session.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The stewards&#8217; decision was detailed in <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/endurance\/verstappen-reprimanded-after-collision-in-first-gtwc-practice-at-portimao\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO&#8217;s report on the incident<\/strong><\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The team will now attempt to recover positions during the three-hour race, with Barnicoat and Lulham handling the opening two stints before Verstappen takes over.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Where to watch Verstappen&#8217;s GTWC race live<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale is available through the championship&#8217;s official international streaming platforms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The race begins at <strong>17:00 BST in the United Kingdom and 12:00 EDT on the United States East Coast<\/strong>, with Verstappen expected to drive during the final hour.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">International viewers can consult <a href=\"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/endurance\/where-to-watch-max-verstappens-gt3-race-live-portimao-start-times-for-us-uk-india-and-australia\/\"><strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO&#8217;s guide to watching Verstappen live at Portim\u00e3o<\/strong><\/a> for streaming information and local start times.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The Brazilian edition of <strong>GRANDE PR\u00caMIO<\/strong> will also provide coverage through GPTV and its digital channels.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Max Verstappen will not start the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portim\u00e3o, with Ben Barnicoat opening the race and Chris Lulham taking the middle stint before the four-time F1 champion brings the Mercedes home.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":1020318344,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"42wp_featured_image_caption":"Max Verstappen","42wp_featured_image_credits":"GTWC Europe","42wp_featured_video":"","42wp_ai_content_disclaimer":"","42wp_is_ai_content":false,"42wp_featured_image_hidden":false,"42wp_authors_list":[{"id":7,"location":""}],"footnotes":"","42wp_breaking_news":false},"categories":[46],"tags":[667,64,605,666],"42wp_author":[7],"class_list":["post-4130","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-victor-martins"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4130","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=4130"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4130\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":4131,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/4130\/revisions\/4131"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/1020318344"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=4130"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=4130"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=4130"},{"taxonomy":"42wp_author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/grandepremio.com\/en\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/42wp_author?post=4130"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}