Max Verstappen will make his eagerly awaited first appearance in the GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE) this weekend at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The Formula 1 driver will take control of his vehicle along with two teammates from his Verstappen Racing team, Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat, as the regular drivers, Daniel Juncadella and Jules Gounon, compete in a race of the World Endurance Championship (WEC) that has been rescheduled in Barcelona.
This will be the first time Verstappen competes in a GT3 class car since the 24 Hours of Nurburgring in 2026, as well as his debut in this championship. The three-hour race in Portimao will take place at a time when the title has already been decided in favor of Maro Engel, Lucas Auer, and Luca Stolz, who lead the standings with the intrepid #48 Winward Mercedes-AMG, known as ‘Mamba’.
The competition will focus on Verstappen’s performance, which is highly anticipated as his presence is likely to attract a significant amount of media attention. Furthermore, it will be interesting to see him share the grid with a MotoGP legend, Valentino Rossi, who is competing with his BMW M4 GT3 number 46.
Race track and schedule
The GTWCE returns to Portimao for the first time since 2015, after having hosted two sprint races previously. This race, which will be run in the evening light, promises a unique and appealing atmosphere. The support program includes the GT2 European Series, the McLaren Trophy Europe, and the GT4 European Series, which will also compete on Sunday after the main race.
GTWCE schedule in Portimao
Friday, October 16:
FP1: 08:45 – 10:15 (local time)
FP2: 12:45 – 14:15 (local time)
Qualifying: 17:55 – 19:05 (local time)
Saturday, October 17:
Race: 17:00 – 20:00 (local time)
Weather conditions and circuit details
The weather in the region is warm with temperatures expected to exceed 20 degrees during the competition days, a factor that will contribute to optimal conditions during the race. No rain is expected, so the sun is likely to shine throughout the event.
The Autódromo Internacional do Algarve is a permanent circuit with a length of 4.635 km and 15 corners. It opened in 2008 and has hosted the GTWCE since 2014. With the GTWCE lap record of 1:42.589 set by Tomas Enge in 2014, drivers will compete to beat those times during their laps.
Written by FormulaRapidaAI
SourceID: SRC_0641b510fc7a7e4baffd8152046ccdfcf06d572f