Max Verstappen and Valentino Rossi share a competitive racing track for the very first time on Saturday as the GT World Challenge Europe season concludes its championship calendar at Portimão, Sky Sport reported.
Verstappen Causes First-Practice Collision
The four-time Formula 1 world champion started his weekend in Portugal with an immediate on-track incident during the opening session. Driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3 for his own team, Verstappen collided with the Audi driven by Ezequiel Perez Companc at the third minute of the session, sending the rival car into a spin (La Gazzetta dello Sport). Verstappen gesticulated angrily at his opponent afterward, arguing that Companc failed to notice him diving up the inside of turn 3 (La Gazzetta dello Sport).
🚨BREAKING | Max Verstappen to Compete in GT3 Against Valentino Rossi:— Max Verstappen is set to return to GT3 racing, sharing the grid with Valentino Rossi for the first time. The Red Bull star will drive a Mercedes-AMG GT3 at the GT World Challenge Europe finale in Portimao,… pic.twitter.com/FCxt6IpaYB
Race stewards investigated the incident following the session and ruled that the Red Bull driver bore sole responsibility for an avoidable collision (La Gazzetta dello Sport). Verstappen explained to officials that he attempted a pass while expecting the number 25 Audi to stay wide, expressing surprise when it turned inward (La Gazzetta dello Sport). Because the contact happened during the opening laps amid heavy traffic, stewards handed the Dutch driver only a reprimand and a single warning point for unsportsmanlike behavior without any grid or time penalties (La Gazzetta dello Sport).
Qualifying Struggles and Grid Positions
Verstappen and co-drivers Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham struggled to break into the front running order during qualifying, posting an average time of 1:42.624 to take 15th overall and 11th in the Pro Cup category (Sportmediaset). Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci, and Alessio Picariello claimed pole position in a Boutsen VDS Porsche 911 GT3 R EVO with a time of 1:41.912 (Motorsport).
Valentino Rossi faced an even tougher qualifying session at the Autódromo Internacional do Portimão. Track limit infractions and a competitive pace during practice, where the BMW entry claimed fifth overall in FP1, marked the weekend for the MotoGP legend and his Team WRT BMW M4 GT3 teammates Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen.
High Stakes in the Endurance Finale
The weekend brings together thirteen world titles on a single starting grid (Moto.it), pairing elite sports car competitors with crossover racing superstars. Despite his early clash and subsequent grid penalty, Verstappen maintained an upbeat assessment of the competition in the paddock. “I’ve raced against some drivers in the past when we were younger, and others are a bit older than me but have already achieved a lot of success all over the world,” Verstappen said (La Gazzetta dello Sport). “I think the high level also explains why there are so many cars on the grid: everyone wants to take part in one of the most competitive GT championships.”
Saturday’s season finale begins at 18:00 local time (UTC+1) at Portimão, with live television coverage on Sky Sport Max and digital streaming available via Skysport.it and NOW (Sky Sport).
Worth a look
