Max Verstappen has confirmed that he will make his GT World Challenge (GTWC) Europe powered by AWS debut at the 2026 Portimão finale, stepping into the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing entry for the Endurance Cup season finale. His appearance comes as the GTWC Europe finale clashes directly with the FIA World Endurance Championship’s 6 Hours of Barcelona, forcing several teams to make changes to their regular line-ups.
The GTWC Europe and WEC calendar clash means Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon will both miss Portimão because of their WEC commitments. Juncadella will race in Barcelona with Genesis Magma Racing, while Gounon will compete for Alpine, leaving Chris Lulham as the only member of Verstappen Racing’s regular Endurance Cup trio available for the Portuguese finale.
Verstappen will take one of the vacant seats himself, while Ben Barnicoat will fill the other. The revised line-up therefore brings Verstappen, Lulham and Barnicoat together for the three-hour race as the team attempts to close out its first GTWC Europe campaign with Mercedes-AMG on a strong note.
Verstappen confirms Portimão GTWC Europe appearance
Speculation around Verstappen’s involvement had increased once it became clear that Verstappen Racing would need two replacement drivers for Portimão. With Juncadella and Gounon both unavailable because of Barcelona, attention quickly turned towards whether Verstappen could step into his own team’s car for the first time in GTWC Europe.
Asked whether Verstappen Racing would compete in Portugal and whether he would form part of the line-up, Verstappen, while speaking to the media ahead of the F1 round in Malaysia, confirmed that the team needed two replacements and made clear that he would take one of those seats.
“Well, I know that two of my drivers won’t be part of the line-up, so, yeah, two other drivers need to step in. And I’m, yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Yeah, it’s going to be a busy seven weeks, but we’ll do it. And I enjoy it anyway. So, yeah, let’s see what we can do there.”
When asked directly whether that meant he would race, Verstappen gave a simple confirmation, replying “Yep.”
The appearance will mark his first race in GTWC Europe and adds another high-profile GT3 outing to his increasingly active programme away from Formula 1.
WEC clash forces major Verstappen Racing changes
The revised Portimão line-up stems directly from the unusual calendar conflict between GTWC Europe and WEC. Both series will race across the 16–18 October weekend, with GTWC Europe heading to the Algarve International Circuit while WEC contests its new Barcelona round.
That clash has affected a number of drivers across the GTWC Europe field, including several manufacturer-backed competitors who ordinarily race in both championships. Verstappen Racing is among the most heavily affected because both Juncadella and Gounon are tied to WEC programmes, leaving the team without two-thirds of its regular Endurance Cup crew.
The scheduling issue emerged after changes to the WEC calendar placed Barcelona on the same weekend as the already scheduled GTWC Europe finale. As a result, Verstappen Racing has had to rebuild its three-driver combination for the final endurance round rather than simply continuing with the trio that contested the rest of the season.
Lulham therefore provides the continuity within the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG, while Verstappen and Barnicoat step into the seats normally occupied by Juncadella and Gounon. The change creates one of the most notable line-ups on the Portimão grid and gives Verstappen the opportunity to compete directly in a programme he has developed from outside the cockpit.
Verstappen steps into his own GTWC Europe programme
Portimão represents a new stage in Verstappen’s involvement with Verstappen Racing, which expanded its GT programme with Mercedes-AMG for the 2026 season. The operation has competed across both the Sprint and Endurance Cups, with Lulham, Juncadella and Gounon forming the endurance combination.
The team has already demonstrated competitive pace during its first year with Mercedes-AMG and has established itself as a front-running presence at several points during the season. Verstappen will now experience that operation from inside the car as he joins Lulham and Barnicoat for the final race of the Endurance Cup campaign.
His debut also creates an unusual situation in which the team owner effectively becomes one of the replacement drivers required by the WEC clash. Rather than attempting to move Juncadella or Gounon between two major championships on the same weekend, Verstappen Racing will allow both to fulfil their WEC commitments while Verstappen takes the opportunity to race in Portugal himself.
Barnicoat completes revised 2026 GTWC Europe Portimão line-up alongside Verstappen and Lulham
Barnicoat will occupy the second vacant position and brings significant GT and endurance racing experience to the revised crew. His presence gives Verstappen Racing an experienced GT specialist alongside Verstappen, while Lulham remains the driver with the greatest familiarity with the team’s 2026 Endurance Cup programme.
The combination consequently brings together three very different backgrounds. Lulham provides continuity from the regular campaign, Barnicoat adds extensive GT racing experience, and Verstappen arrives with growing familiarity in GT3 machinery but no previous GTWC Europe race start.
That mix will face a competitive Pro field at Portimão, where the three-hour format will place additional emphasis on driver changes, traffic management and consistency across a longer race distance. Verstappen will therefore have limited time to integrate into a line-up that has been assembled specifically because of the WEC conflict.
Verstappen embraces busy end to 2026
Adding Portimão to his programme creates an especially demanding conclusion to Verstappen’s season, but he made clear that the additional race does not concern him. Instead, he emphasised that he enjoys the opportunity to compete and remains eager to see what the revised Verstappen Racing line-up can achieve.
“Well, I know that two of my drivers won’t be part of the line-up, so, yeah, two other drivers need to step in. And I’m, yeah, I’m looking forward to it. Yeah, it’s going to be a busy seven weeks, but we’ll do it. And I enjoy it anyway. So, yeah, let’s see what we can do there.”
His comments also underline how closely his personal GT ambitions have become connected to the development of Verstappen Racing. Portimão is not simply another standalone GT3 outing, as Verstappen will compete directly within the programme he has helped build and against the same teams his drivers have faced throughout the season.
Verstappen rules Alonso out of 2026 GTWC Europe Portimão line-up
Fernando Alonso had added further intrigue around Verstappen’s GT plans after hinting that there could be surprises in the coming weeks. However, Verstappen firmly ruled out any suggestion that the Aston Martin Formula 1 driver would join him in the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG at Portimão.
Verstappen instead stressed that the team already knows how it intends to approach the weekend, while also acknowledging that he would have preferred to see Juncadella and Gounon complete the campaign.
“No. No, he’s not driving with me. So, I don’t know what he means with that, but no. From my side, it’s all clear. We know what we want to do. Of course, I would have loved to see my normal drivers compete, but the calendar has changed at times and that’s okay. I mean, I love Portugal, I love being in Portugal, so we’ll try and have a good weekend”
His reference to the changing calendar directly reflects the circumstances surrounding the revised line-up. Juncadella and Gounon would ordinarily have completed the Endurance Cup season alongside Lulham, but the Barcelona WEC round means Verstappen and Barnicoat will instead take their places.
Portimão 2026 presents Verstappen with new GTWC Europe challenge
Verstappen will therefore arrive at Portimão under unusual circumstances, making his GTWC Europe debut not as part of a planned season-long campaign but as a replacement within his own team. The WEC clash has created the opening, but his decision to take the seat also fits naturally with his growing commitment to GT racing.
The weekend gives Verstappen another opportunity to expand his experience in GT3 machinery while competing in one of Europe’s most competitive endurance environments. At the same time, it allows Verstappen Racing to retain a high-profile and experienced line-up despite losing two regular drivers to another major championship.
With Juncadella and Gounon racing in Barcelona, Verstappen will share the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG with Lulham and Barnicoat when GTWC Europe concludes its 2026 Endurance Cup season at Portimão from 16–18 October. The clash with WEC has forced the team to change its plans, but it has also created the opportunity for Verstappen to make his long-anticipated GTWC Europe debut.
