Max Verstappen will take on some of the biggest names in sportscar racing when he contests this weekend’s GT World finale at Portimão.
Fresh from another grand prix win in Singapore, the Dutch superstar joins a stacked 61-car grid featuring a wealth of highly successful drivers, including some of the most decorated GT specialists on the planet. Indeed, the #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing crew, which also includes Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat, will face a very stern test as they go in pursuit of victory.
Valentino Rossi, ‘The Doctor’ in GT
Every motorsport fan will know Valentino Rossi. ‘The Doctor’ is a nine-time motorcycle world champion, including seven premier class titles, and now a three-time GT World Challenge Sprint Cup race winner. This weekend he’s joined in the #46 Team WRT BMW by Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen, two of the German firm’s fastest factory drivers.
Maro Engel, a warrior on track
Few can match the achievements of Maro Engel. The Mercedes-AMG ace has won pretty much everything, including four GT World Challenge titles. Engel has also taken a pair of victories at the 24 Hours of Nürburgring, four Macau GT Cup wins, and captured his first Bathurst 12 Hour triumph this year.
In fact, the only major GT race he’s missing is the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa. A gentleman outside the car, Engel is a warrior when he hits the track in the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team Mann-Filter machine.
Christopher Haase, ‘Mr GT World’
Driving the #84 Audi for Eastalent Racing, Christopher Haase could be called ‘Mr GT World’. The German has contested more events than any other driver, reaching his milestone 100th last time out at Barcelona. A GT World Challenge Endurance Cup champion, 24 Hours of Spa winner and two-time 24 Hours of Nürburgring winner, he’s already enjoyed some memorable fights with Max on the Nordschleife.
Lamborghini: Bortolotti, Perera and Niederhauser
Mirko Bortolotti (TGI Team by GRT) is Lamborghini’s main man in GT racing. Cool, calculating and blindingly fast, the Italian has been instrumental in making the Sant’Agata Bolognese brand a success over the past decade. GT World Challenge Endurance Cup champion in 2017, he won the DTM title in 2024 and clinched the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, Lamborghini’s first, in 2025. Some of the Italian marque’s other big-name drivers are the vastly experienced Franck Perera (TGI Team by GRT), and outgoing Endurance Cup champion Patric Niederhauser (Rutronik Racing).
Nicki Thiim: ‘go hard or go home’
Aston Martin star Nicki Thiim (Comtoyou Racing) is a big guy with a mighty C.V. and a personality to match. The Dane’s motto is ‘go hard or go home’ and he’s not shy about proving it, perhaps most memorably while battling Jules Gounon at Spa in 2022. Thiim conquered the Belgian event two years later with Aston Martin and is also a 24 Hours of Nürburgring winner.
All-star crews: Lionspeed GP and Team WRT
For all-star crews, you could pick out the #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche line-up. They won this year’s CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa, while Ricardo Feller and Bastian Buus recently clinched the GT World Challenge Sprint Cup title. Not to be upstaged, their teammate Thomas Preining just earned his second DTM crown.
Then there’s the #32 Team WRT BMW line-up. Charles Weerts has won a record four GT World Challenge Sprint Cup titles; Kelvin van der Linde has one Sprint crown and three 24 Hours of Nürburgring triumphs; and Jordan Pepper won the CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa in 2025. What’s more, Team WRT is the most decorated squad on the grid.
AF Corse and Arthur Leclerc
Another powerhouse of sports car racing is AF Corse, whose exploits are synonymous with Ferrari. This weekend their line-up includes Arthur Leclerc, who is proving himself a rising star of global GT racing. The Monegasque is joined in the #50 car by Lilou Wadoux, Ferrari’s first female factory driver, and the returning veteran Albert Costa.
The one-off additions
Costa, like Verstappen, is among several one-off additions for this race. Some of the others include IMSA heavyweight Jack Hawksworth, who will drive a McLaren for Garage 59; BMW factory stars Philipp Eng and Marco Wittmann (ROWE Racing), whose combined record includes four 24 Hours of Spa victories and a pair of DTM titles; and former F1 driver Nikita Mazepin (Team Motopark Mercedes-AMG).
This only scratches the surface. The grid for Portimão includes many more drivers who have achieved incredible success in GT racing and beyond: Porsche ace Dorian Boccolacci (Boutsen VDS); CrowdStrike 24 Hours of Spa winners Mattia Drudi (Comtoyou Racing Aston Martin) and Maximilian Götz (Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed); Formula E World Champion Jake Dennis (ROWE Racing BMW); and rising stars such as Tom Fleming (Garage 59 McLaren) and Jamie Day (natural elements by Walkenhorst Motorsport Aston Martin).
In total, the entry list features more than 70 professional drivers (rated Platinum or Gold by the FIA). The #3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing crew has a chance to win this weekend, but doing so will mean beating some of the very best in the business.
For fans: open paddock and fan zone
Fans attending the event will find an open paddock in which they can soak up the race weekend atmosphere; pit walks that bring them closer than ever to the action; and a full fan zone which includes food and drinks options, merchandise stalls, expositions, and live music from a DJ. There’s also a full programme of support race action thanks to the GT2 European Series powered by Pirelli, GT4 European Series, and McLaren Trophy Europe.
Access to the grandstands, paddock, and pit walk are all included in the price of a general admission ticket. A full weekend pass (Friday to Sunday) costs just €25, while a Saturday ticket (which includes the headline Endurance Cup race) costs only €15. In each case, kids aged 16 and under can attend for free.
Timetable and how to watch
If you can’t be at the track, all GT World Challenge action is streamed live around the world on the GT World YouTube channel. This is absolutely free in multiple languages, allowing fans total immersion no matter where they are. Live coverage from Portimão begins on Friday with Free Practice 1 at 08:45, followed at 12:45 by Free Practice 2 and then Qualifying at 17:55.
The main event begins at 17:00 on Saturday evening, and it promises to be a true clash of the titans with the best of GT World all assembled against Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing.
Source: SRO Motorsports Group.
