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Red Bull Formula 1 star Max Verstappen is set to go head-to-head with MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi after the Dutchman announced a surprise return to GT3 racing. The four-time F1 world champion will take advantage of a brief gap between two triple-headers to compete in the GT World Challenge Europe season finale at Portimao from October 16 to 18.
Verstappen will get behind the wheel of a Mercedes-AMG GT3, prepared by 2 Seas Motorsport and entered under the Verstappen.com Racing banner. The outing marks his debut in Stephane Ratel's premier series, setting up a direct battle in the Pro category against Rossi, who races for factory-backed BMW squad Team WRT.
The Dutch driver confirmed his entry ahead of the Bahrain Grand Prix. It will be his first GT3 appearance since May, when he took part in the legendary Nürburgring 24 Hours.
Verstappen's late call-up comes as a result of a calendar clash with the World Endurance Championship (WEC). The scheduling conflict means his regular team drivers, Jules Gounon and Daniel Juncadella, are unavailable for Portimao as they will be representing Alpine and Genesis respectively at the 6 Hours of Barcelona.
"I knew two of my drivers wouldn't be able to make the lineup. Other people had to step in, and I can't wait. Of course, I would have preferred my regular drivers to race, but schedules shift sometimes and that's completely fine. I really like Portimao and I love being in Portugal, so we'll do everything we can to have a strong weekend," Verstappen said.
Chris Lulham has been confirmed as his teammate for the three-hour Endurance Cup race, while the third driver is yet to be announced. Verstappen has firmly dismissed speculation that Fernando Alonso could join the entry.
Adding the Portimao round creates an intense schedule for the Dutchman, embarking on a grueling run of seven consecutive race weekends between the Azerbaijan Grand Prix and the Brazilian Grand Prix on November 8.
"It's shaping up to be a pretty busy seven weeks, but we'll manage. I really enjoy all of this, so we'll see what we can achieve," he added.
Verstappen continues to invest heavily in his GT racing projects, with his team expanding its program for 2026. After a mechanical failure denied him victory at the Nürburgring in May, he is aiming to mount another challenge at the iconic endurance race next year.
The 29-year-old is also considering an entry into the 24 Hours of Spa in 2027, though he firmly brushed aside rumors linking him to negotiations for Ford's new Hypercar prototype at the 24 Hours of Le Mans.
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