Max Verstappen targets victory in GT World Challenge Europe debut at Portimão

Max Verstappen is set to make his GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup debut at the season finale in Portimão on Saturday, October 17. The four-time Formula 1 world champion tested his Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the Algarve Circuit on Thursday and says his target for the race is victory.

“We’re here to win,” Verstappen said, according to Motorsport. He will share Verstappen Racing’s No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat for the three-hour race.

How Verstappen’s Portimão test went

Motorsport reported that Verstappen drove a two-hour test session at the Algarve Circuit on Thursday, October 15. He described the car as well-balanced and said the team spent the session fine-tuning details ahead of the race weekend.

The No. 3 entry was second-fastest in that test, behind another Mercedes-AMG GT3 entered by GetSpeed, Motorsport reported. The test gave Verstappen time in the car at Portimão before his first Endurance Cup race, though it did not settle how the team will fare in the finale.

Why Verstappen is in the No. 3 car

Red Bull reported that the Portimão event was rescheduled, creating a clash with World Endurance Championship commitments in Barcelona for regular drivers Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon. Verstappen’s teammates for this finale are Lulham and Barnicoat.

The main race is scheduled to begin at 18:00 CEST, or 16:00 UTC, on Saturday, October 17, according to Red Bull. It says the race will stream on Red Bull TV and the Red Bull Motorsports YouTube channel, with an onboard feed also planned. Red Bull lists Germany, Italy, Australia, the Netherlands and the UK as exclusions from that streaming availability.

Verstappen has also said he intends to try to race in the 2027 Spa 24 Hours, according to Motorsport. He said he wants to arrive prepared; his participation in that event has not been confirmed.