F1 / NEWS & CONTEXT

Verstappen confirms Portimão GT World Challenge appearance

Verstappen plans to race at Portimão later this month as World Endurance Championship commitments affect his GT driver line-up.

GPBeat · Newsroom06 Oct 2026, 01:18 · 1 min

Max Verstappen has confirmed he will compete in the GT World Challenge event at Portimão on 16–18 October, after the Singapore Grand Prix. He made the announcement during a media session in Malaysia, RacingNews365 Nederland reports.

The outing comes as his GT driver line-up needs changing. RacingNews365 names Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella as unavailable because of World Endurance Championship commitments. Verstappen said two of his drivers would be absent and two others would need to take their places.

Verstappen previously drove a Mercedes GT3 for Verstappen Racing at the Nürburgring.

Sources 01

SOURCEOfficieel: Verstappen in actie voor Mercedes op PortimaoRacingNews365 Nederland · Source date as found: 2026-10-01

Source context

RacingNews365 Nederland reported Verstappen’s remarks from a media session in Malaysia on 1 October 2026.

Claims and supporting evidence 3

RacingNews365 reports that Max Verstappen confirmed in Malaysia that he will take part in the GT World Challenge event at Portimão, scheduled for 16–18 October 2026, after the Singapore Grand Prix. This is a reported future participation, not a race result.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Verstappen’s planned GT World Challenge appearance at Portimão Reported on 1 October 2026; event scheduled for 16–18 October 2026. The supplied report is the only read source. It attributes the confirmation to Verstappen at a media session.

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RacingNews365 says Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella are unavailable because of World Endurance Championship commitments. Verstappen separately says two of his drivers will be absent and two others must replace them.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Reason given for changes to the GT driver line-up The planned Portimão event of 16–18 October 2026. The report names the unavailable drivers; the quoted statement does not itself name them or identify the replacements.

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The article identifies a Mercedes GT3 run by Verstappen Racing as the car in which Verstappen previously raced at the Nürburgring. That passage does not specify his Portimão car or establish a move to the Mercedes Formula 1 team.

This source finding must be read within the stated scope and source context. Meaning and limit of the Mercedes reference The earlier Nürburgring appearance, described by the article as occurring in the 2026 season. The Mercedes GT3 identification concerns the earlier race, not an explicitly identified Portimão entry.

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Corrections and updates to this story

06 Oct 2026, 01:18

Overbodige toelichting over bronnen en bewijs uit de Engelse en Nederlandse lopende tekst verwijderd. De feitelijke inhoud, uitspraken en bronverwijzingen zijn behouden.

This article was produced with AI assistance. Source references make its supporting evidence traceable.