Max Verstappen after testing in Portimão: “I’m just getting into my stride”

The first day of testing for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup in Portimão is now behind four-time Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen. The Dutchman is sharing the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat. The trio finished the test in second place thanks to a lap time set by Chris Lulham. Max Verstappen’s focus during the test was on gaining experience and collecting data.

Max, what was your initial reaction to taking part in this weekend’s GT World Challenge race?

“I’ve always enjoyed visiting Portugal and spending time here with friends and my family. When I saw that there was a clash of dates (between the GT World Challenge and the FIA WEC), I thought to myself: ‘I’d love to step in!’ It’s a brilliant circuit and a great setting for fans and families. It’s a really lovely place.”

You got behind the wheel during the test. How did it go?

“It went quite well. Of course, my points of reference are from the Nürburgring Nordschleife, so it took me a bit to get used to driving on this circuit. But the Mercedes-AMG GT3 is very well-balanced and has proven over recent years that it’s also very competitive. Today we just fine-tuned a few details. It’s still quite hot for this time of year, and you have to take that into account as well. Naturally, you want to drive faster; you want to do better. I’m just getting into my stride myself, and the more laps I do, the better it goes.”

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What do you think of the GT3 as a concept? The field is very evenly matched across many manufacturers…

“Absolutely. For me, it’s also the endurance aspect. Sharing a car with team-mates is something I haven’t really done in my career so far. Of course, I got a taste of it on the Nordschleife and I really enjoyed it. It’s exciting that I’m now getting my first opportunity to do so here in the GT World Challenge.”

Speaking of team-mates: you’ve raced against Ben Barnicoat in the past, haven’t you?

“We often raced against each other in karting. Then our careers took different paths, but it’s nice to catch up again, and it’s great that we can share the car.”

Der viermalige Formel-1-Weltmeister auf dem Kurs in Portugal

Foto: Gruppe C Photography

And what about Chris Lulham?

“Chris is someone I’ve worked with for a long time in the sim racing scene, and now he’s here racing in real races. With every race, he’s making further progress, getting better, gaining more and more experience and proving himself amongst the big names in the paddock.”

What do you think, in general, of the standard of the drivers in the GT World Challenge?

“The standard is very high. I’ve raced against some of them before, back when we were younger. Some are a bit older than me, but have already achieved a lot on the world stage. I think the standard shows why there are so many cars on the grid: people want to compete in one of the top GT championships.”

Alex Palou competed in the Indy 8 Hour last week and could hardly believe how close the competition was…

“Yes, that’s just how it is. There are so many good drivers with so much experience, and they drive these GT3 cars day in, day out. So it’s only natural that the gaps are very small. I step out of my comfort zone a bit when driving this sort of car, but I love it. I love competing in all sorts of categories. As for Alex: I’ve already raced against him online. We haven’t raced together in real life yet, but I hope we’ll be able to do that one day.”

Next year there won’t be a clash between the Formula 1 calendar and the Spa 24 Hours. Might we see you there?

“I love Spa, of course, so I’ll try to make it work, as I want to arrive well prepared. I’ll do my best to be there. It’s close to the Dutch border, and I’m half Belgian, after all. It would be great for me to be there and compete in one of the biggest endurance races of the year.”

And finally: what’s the aim for this weekend?

“To have fun, obviously, but my competitive spirit naturally wants things to go well too, doesn’t it? We’re here to win. That’s always the goal.”