Will Max Verstappen make his debut in the GT World Challenge Europe at Portimão?

The season finale of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup in Portimão clashes with the WEC race in Barcelona. Although the SRO is endeavouring to minimise the clash – and the race will therefore take place on Saturday evening – not every driver will be competing in the race in Portugal.

Both Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella are likely to focus on the event in Spain, where both Gounon (Alpine) and Juncadella (Genesis) are involved in works LMDh programmes. In the GT World Challenge Europe, both compete for Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing. This would leave Chris Lulham without a team-mate.

Last week at the Nürburgring, a rumour was doing the rounds in the GT World Challenge Europe paddock as to which high-calibre driver line-up would instead be at the wheel of the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3.

According to the rumour mill, Max Verstappen is set to make his debut in Europe’s top GT series! During the winter months, Verstappen was involved in Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing’s intensive testing programme at numerous European circuits, frequently taking the wheel of the Mercedes-AMG GT3 himself – including at the circuit on Portugal’s Algarve coast. He also accompanied the team in person at the season opener in Le Castellet, France.

The Spaniard Álex Palou is set to compete in Portugal as the third driver. Palou has been competing in the IndyCar Championship since 2020 and has since been crowned champion in 2021, 2023, 2024, 2025 and 2026! Palou made his last GT3 appearance in 2024, when he competed in the Indianapolis 8 Hour in a Mercedes-AMG. He also drove a McLaren in the Japanese Super GT in 2019. Between 2024 and 2026, he also competed in LMDh prototypes in the FIA WEC and the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship.

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There has not yet been any official confirmation regarding Verstappen and Palou; however, should this be announced, it would draw further attention from the global motorsport community to the SRO’s top-class GT3 championship.