Max Verstappen and Valentino Rossi are set to share the GT3 grid in the GT World Challenge Europe at Portimao on 16–18 October. Verstappen will make his debut in the series with a Mercedes-AMG GT3 run by Team Verstappen Racing, while Rossi will compete in the Pro category with BMW’s factory-supported WRT team.

The pairing brings together two very different racing résumés. Rossi is a nine-time motorcycle world champion, while Verstappen has won four Formula 1 titles. Verstappen said he would like to meet Rossi away from the circuit and described him as a very cool guy. In competition, however, he would rather not see the Italian alongside him: that would mean fighting for position instead of achieving his preferred race scenario at the front.

From the Nordschleife to Portimao

Verstappen has already sampled GT racing this season at the Nordschleife. He is looking forward to driving at Portimao, while stressing that a GT3 car offers a markedly different experience from Formula 1. With a highly competitive grid expected, his aim is to enjoy the challenge and produce a strong result with his team.

The Portuguese event sits between the Azerbaijan–Malaysia–Singapore F1 triple-header and the following USA–Mexico–Brazil sequence, leaving Verstappen with seven consecutive race weekends. Formula 1’s scheduled final triple-header consists of Las Vegas, Qatar and Abu Dhabi. Imola is being prepared as an alternative season-finale venue if uncertainty connected to the war in the Middle East prevents the two Gulf races from taking place as planned.