Max Verstappen is already plotting his next escape into endurance racing, with the Red Bull star setting his sights on next year’s Spa 24 Hours and hoping to squeeze one of motorsport’s toughest challenges into his Formula 1 schedule.
The Dutchman has made no secret of his growing enthusiasm for GT racing, and a return to Belgium’s legendary Spa-Francorchamps circuit is firmly on his radar.
However, the four-time world champion knows that fitting the event around his F1 commitments will require careful planning, but he is determined to give it a shot.
“It’s my favourite track, of course, so I’m trying to make it work,” Verstappen said after finishing ninth in the GT World Challenge Europe last weekend at Portimao, where he shared the Team Verstappen Mercedes with Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat.
“I just need to plan it all well that, of course, when I arrive [I’m] also well prepared.
“I’m also Belgian, so it’s just nice to be there to do one of the biggest endurance events of the year. I’m going to try my best to be there.”
A homecoming of the sorts
Born in Belgium, the home country of his mother, former kart racer Sophie Kumpen, Verstappen has a personal connection to the country, while Spa holds a special place in his racing heart.
The 2027 edition of the 24-hour classic is scheduled for June 24-27, falling between the Portuguese and British Grands Prix. That positioning offers a potential opening in Verstappen’s calendar, although participation would still demand meticulous preparation.
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His appetite for GT racing has grown following his Nordschleife adventure in May, when he shared a car with Dani Juncadella, Lucas Auer and Jules Gounon at the Nürburgring 24 Hours. Their challenge ended late in the race with a driveshaft failure, after they had led the field.
“Sharing the car with team-mates is of course something that I haven’t really done in my life so far,” he said. “
“Of course, I got a taste at the Nordschleife for the first time, so I really enjoyed that. To get the first opportunity here now in the GT World Challenge for me is just exciting.”
Learning from the GT specialists
At Portimao, Verstappen found himself competing against established endurance racers, several of whom he had known since his karting days.
“Some of them I have raced already in the past,” he said. “Some of those are a little bit older than me, but they have achieved a lot all over the world in every single category. So it’s a very high level.
“It’s just every race making progress, getting better, getting more and more experience, and showing yourself between all the big boys in the paddock.”
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This week in Austin, Verstappen will return his full attention to Red Bull and Formula 1, where consecutive victories in Malaysia and Singapore have revived his campaign.
But if he can make the dates and preparation work, Spa could provide another opportunity to indulge in his growing passion for racing beyond F1.
Read also: Penalty blights Verstappen’s GTWC debut at Portimao
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