How Verstappen fared in his Portimão GT outing

F1 star Max Verstappen and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi competed in the 2026 GT World Challenge Europe season finale at Portimão, Portugal. Verstappen represented his Verstappen Racing team alongside teammates Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham, while Rossi drove for Team WRT. Despite starting 15th, a penalty dropped Verstappen's #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 down to 24th before his stint. However, the four-time F1 champion delivered a stellar recovery drive, executing bold overtakes to finish ninth. Meanwhile, Rossi's #46 BMW M4 GT3 suffered a qualifying track limits penalty that relegated them to 60th on the grid, ultimately finishing 50th. Verstappen's participation drew massive attention, helping generate a record 9.7 million live YouTube views and an on-site crowd of 28,000. Additionally, F1 is set to return to Portimão in 2027 under a newly confirmed two-year agreement.