Max Verstappen produced an impressive recovery drive in the GT World Challenge Europe season finale at Portimão, helping Verstappen Racing secure ninth place despite a costly drive-through penalty that undermined the team’s chances of a stronger result.
Sharing the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham, Verstappen took over for the final stint well down the order before delivering a series of overtakes in increasingly challenging conditions.
The Dutchman climbed from 24th to ninth, including passes on Arthur Leclerc and several other competitors, while the #17 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of Fabian Schiller, Ralf Aron and Maximilian Götz claimed victory.
Barnicoat Makes a Strong Start From 13th
Verstappen Racing entered the race having qualified 15th, but grid penalties for two rival entries promoted the #3 Mercedes to 13th for the start.
Barnicoat was entrusted with the opening stint, with dry but extremely windy conditions greeting the field at the Portuguese circuit.
Despite receiving a significant hit at the start, the British driver maintained control and gained a position. He continued his progress on the following lap with an impressive overtake on a McLaren.
An incident further ahead allowed Barnicoat to advance to eighth as an eventful opening phase unfolded around him.
Valentino Rossi’s BMW suffered damage early in the race, while the Ziggo Sport Porsche spun. The #84 Audi also lost control and ended up off the circuit.
At the front, Alessio Picariello initially led the charge in the #2 Porsche, closely pursued by the #80 Porsche and the #17 Mercedes-AMG.
Thomas Preining subsequently became the first of the leading contenders to pit, handing the #80 Porsche to Ricardo Feller.
Barnicoat, meanwhile, extended his opening stint as several competitors made their stops. With the sun beginning to set, the strategy temporarily elevated the #3 Mercedes to third place before he eventually entered the pits.
Lulham Continues the Progress
Barnicoat handed over to Chris Lulham, the former sim racer developed under Verstappen’s guidance who has already demonstrated his potential in GT racing this season.
Lulham immediately showed competitive pace, overtaking Thomas Drouet’s #64 Ford Mustang to move into sixth position.
Ahead of him, Ralf Aron had established a small advantage in the #17 Mercedes, with Dorian Boccolacci in the #2 Porsche and Ricardo Feller in the #80 Porsche applying pressure.
Joseph Loake was also making an impression, moving forward in the #59 McLaren with a series of strong performances.
Meanwhile, Luca Stolz was losing ground in the #48 Mercedes-AMG, allowing Lulham to close rapidly onto the rear of the yellow car.
The #3 Mercedes appeared well positioned to continue its progress towards the front of the field.
Contact With Stolz Triggers a Costly Penalty
The race was interrupted when the Porsches driven by Angus Whiteside and Alex Malykhin crashed, prompting a prolonged Full Course Yellow period.
The neutralisation eventually developed into a Safety Car intervention, bringing the field back together.
At the restart, Loake resumed his attacking drive while Lulham attempted to challenge Stolz for position.
However, the Verstappen Racing driver made contact with the #48 Mercedes during his attempted move.
Race control subsequently handed Lulham a drive-through penalty for the incident, dealing a significant blow to the team’s hopes of a leading finish.
The penalty was served as Lulham approached the scheduled driver change, delaying Verstappen’s opportunity to take over.
By the time the four-time Formula 1 world champion entered the race, the #3 Mercedes had fallen well behind the leaders.
Further incidents then brought another Full Course Yellow and subsequent Safety Car period, offering Verstappen an opportunity to reduce the deficit.
Verstappen Launches an Aggressive Recovery Drive
With darkness settling over Portimão, Verstappen began his final stint from 24th position.
The Dutchman immediately demonstrated his determination to recover lost ground, making several overtakes following the restart.
Among his early moves was a pass on compatriot Maxime Oosten’s Ford Mustang, followed by further advances through the traffic.
Verstappen then set his sights on Lucas Auer, who had previously shared a car with him at the Nürburgring.
Auer was engaged in his own battles, leaving Verstappen with several closely grouped cars ahead.
Rather than settle for position, Verstappen continued attacking.
One particularly impressive sequence saw him overtake three cars in a single move, highlighting his ability to exploit opportunities in heavy traffic.
He subsequently completed a bold pass on the #58 McLaren, returning the #3 Mercedes to the top ten.
The Ferrari driven by Arthur Leclerc was another of his victims as Verstappen continued his charge towards the chequered flag.
Having started his stint in 24th, Verstappen ultimately brought the car home in ninth place, completing a remarkable recovery despite the earlier setback.
Mercedes-AMG Takes Victory as Verstappen Racing Finishes Ninth
While Verstappen’s final stint provided one of the race’s notable recovery drives, the earlier drive-through penalty had left the #3 Mercedes too far behind to challenge for victory.
The win went to the #17 Mercedes-AMG GT3 shared by Fabian Schiller, Ralf Aron and Maximilian Götz, completing a successful race for the German manufacturer.
There was also Dutch representation on the podium, with Morris Schuring finishing third in a Porsche.
For Verstappen Racing, ninth place represented a recovery from a difficult situation rather than the result its earlier pace had suggested was possible.
Barnicoat’s strong opening stint, Lulham’s initial progress and Verstappen’s aggressive late charge demonstrated the team’s competitiveness throughout the race.
However, the contact with Stolz and the resulting penalty ultimately proved decisive, leaving Verstappen and his teammates to settle for a top-ten finish in an eventful GT World Challenge Europe season finale.
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