Max Verstappen and Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing will start 15th in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve. The #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO recorded an average qualifying lap time of 1:42.624.
Pole position for Saturday’s three-hour race was secured by the #2 Boutsen VDS Porsche. Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci, and Alessio Picariello achieved an average time of 1:42.071.
The front row is completed by the #17 GetSpeed Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO, driven by Ralf Aron, Maximilian Götz, and Fabian Schiller. They qualified 0.108 seconds behind the pole-sitting Porsche.
The #80 Lionspeed GP Porsche, with Ricardo Feller, Thomas Preining, and Bastian Buus, will start from third position.
Qualifying for the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup determines grid positions by averaging the best lap times of all three drivers across three sessions.
Ben Barnicoat drove Q1, Chris Lulham took Q2, and Verstappen completed Q3 for the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry.
The #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO experienced handling issues throughout the qualifying session. The car struggled with bouncing and understeer, occasionally snapping into oversteer on corner exit.
Barnicoat’s Q1 lap placed the car 21st, 0.679 seconds off the pace. Lulham improved the position to 15th in Q2.
Verstappen recorded the team’s fastest individual lap in Q3 with a 1:42.093. However, this was insufficient to significantly improve the average starting position.
Earlier in the weekend, Verstappen received a reprimand from stewards for causing a collision during the opening practice session. He was also issued one ‘behaviour warning point.’
Valentino Rossi, sharing the #46 WRT BMW with Max Hesse and Neil Verhagen, will start 59th. Rossi’s Q2 lap was deleted for exceeding track limits, impacting the team’s average time.
Neil Verhagen is a new addition to the #46 WRT BMW lineup for Portimão, replacing Daniel Harper due to a clash with the FIA World Endurance Championship.
Arthur Leclerc, driving the #50 AF Corse Ferrari, qualified fifth. Former Formula 1 driver Nikita Mazepin will start 39th in the #20 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO.
The three-hour GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup race at Portimão is scheduled to commence at 17:00 local time on Saturday, October 17.
This event marks Verstappen’s debut in the GT World Challenge Europe. He has prior GT3 experience, including a win at the Nürburgring’s NLS9 round and leading the Nürburgring 24 Hours.
The Endurance Cup title has already been decided, with the #48 Mercedes-AMG Team MANN-FILTER securing it. The global manufacturers’ title remains open.
