Verstappen targets Spa 24 Hours after GT3 comeback
"It would be great for me to be there"
Max Verstappen says he will try to make next year’s 24 Hours of Spa happen after completing his latest GT3 outing at Portimao.
With no Formula 1 clash next year, the Red Bull driver left the door wide open.
"I love Spa, of course, so I’ll try to make it work, as I want to arrive well prepared," he said. "I’m half Belgian, after all."
"It would be great for me to be there and compete in one of the biggest endurance races of the year."
Portimao itself was more complicated, with Verstappen forced into a recovery drive after earlier problems and gaining around 15 places during his stint.
But after the race, Verstappen was more concerned about the abuse directed at teammate Chris Lulham following an incident.
"I feel I need to speak up about the hate and harassment Chris has received after the race," Verstappen wrote on Instagram.
"Everyone can have their opinions about what happened on track, but these personal attacks are not ok. There’s no place for this kind of abuse in our sport or anywhere else."
Valentino Rossi, meanwhile, regretted that the pair never really got to race each other directly.
"It’s a shame," said the MotoGP legend.
"We could have entered the fight with Verstappen, because we were very close together, and that would have been fantastic," he told Sky Italia.
Back in Formula 1, Ralf Schumacher believes Verstappen and Red Bull are already the ultra-early favourites for the 2027 title.
"They are now releasing an upgrade that works," he told Sky Deutschland.
"McLaren has not succeeded, Ferrari is struggling a bit and Mercedes is also struggling at the moment."
When asked whether Red Bull therefore has the strongest title case for next year, Schumacher replied simply: "Yes."