Verstappen calls Portimão recovery from 24th to ninth a strong performance

Max Verstappen called his recovery from 24th to ninth in the GT World Challenge race at Portimão a strong performance. In post-race comments on his own website, he said he enjoyed the chaotic final stint and that the car’s speed was excellent.

The #3 Mercedes-AMG had climbed from 13th to sixth before a drive-through interrupted its charge. Ben Barnicoat took it to eighth in the opening stint, then Chris Lulham advanced it to sixth. After contact with the #48 Mercedes, Lulham served the penalty and handed the car to Verstappen, who began his stint from 24th.

Verstappen praised Barnicoat for staying clear of the start chaos and said Lulham had begun his stint strongly. He described Lulham’s move on a car ahead as somewhat opportunistic and said the penalty was deserved. In the closing moments, Verstappen gained three places in one move to finish ninth.

Verstappen said a setup error in qualifying made the car spark too much and cost performance. The team changed the setup before the race, and he said the car was then much more competitive. Verstappen Racing did not reach the podium or win. Although ninth fell short of the team’s hopes, Verstappen said it had learned a lot and called the weekend positive.