Verstappen set for surprise GT World Challenge race at Portimao

Max Verstappen is about to add another unusual chapter to his increasingly busy life away from Formula 1, with the Dutchman confirmed to make his GT World Challenge Europe debut at Portimao later this month.

The four-time F1 world champion has steadily expanded his GT racing activities in 2026, and his next outing will put him on track alongside one of the series' biggest names: Valentino Rossi.

Verstappen’s Team Verstappen operation already fields Mercedes machinery in the GT World Challenge, but a calendar clash has forced a change to its usual line-up for the season finale in Portugal from October 16-18.

Verstappen jumps into the No.3 Mercedes

Two of his regular drivers, Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, will be required elsewhere that weekend after the rescheduled FIA World Endurance Championship round at Barcelona was moved onto the same weekend.

Gounon races for Alpine in WEC, while Juncadella is part of Genesis Magma Racing’s Hypercar programme. With neither available, Verstappen has decided to take matters into his own hands and climb aboard the No.3 Mercedes himself.

“Well, I know that two of my drivers won't be part of the line-up, so two other drivers need to step in, and I'm looking forward to it,” Verstappen said on Thursday, confirming his GTWCE debut.

“It’s going to be a busy seven weeks, but I enjoy it anyway, so yeah, let's see what we can do there.”

It is another sign of just how seriously Verstappen is taking his GT racing ambitions. His Team Verstappen project has already gained experience in the category, while the Red Bull driver made his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut earlier this year alongside Gounon and Juncadella.

Now he gets the chance to experience the GT World Challenge from behind the wheel himself.

Rossi awaits at Portimao

The Portimao weekend will also provide Verstappen to goo wheel-to-wheel with many contenders, including Rosso who competes for the front-running Team WRT BMW outfit.

The seven-time MotoGP world champion has established himself as a serious competitor on four wheels, making the meeting between the two champions one of the more intriguing elements of the GTWCE finale.

Verstappen was also asked about Fernando Alonso’s recent comments suggesting there could be surprises surrounding his GT racing plans. Any prospect of the two F1 stars sharing a car, however, was quickly dismissed.

“No, no, no, he's not driving with me!" he said. "I don't know what he means with that, but no, from my side, it's all clear, we know what we want to do.

“Of course, I would have loved to see my normal drivers compete, but the calendar has changed at times, and that's okay.

“I mean, I love Portimao, I love being in Portugal, so we'll try and have a good weekend.”

Portimao is hardly unfamiliar territory for Verstappen. He has already stood on the Formula 1 podium twice at the Portuguese circuit, but this time the challenge will be considerably different.

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