Max Verstappen denounces online harassment of Chris Lulham
Max Verstappen defended teammate Chris Lulham against online abuse following a contact incident during the GT World Challenge Europe finale in Portimao. Lulham faced personal attacks after a mistake at Turn 8 resulted in a drive-through penalty for the #3 Mercedes team.
Verstappen denounces harassment
Max Verstappen’s defense of Chris Lulham is a clear rejection of the online abuse following the GT World Challenge Europe finale in Portimao. Lulham faced personal attacks after an error during the three-hour race cost the team a potential victory. Verstappen first showed support by liking a social media post that condemned the treatment of his younger teammate. He then used his own social media to post a message defending Lulham. "I also feel I need to speak up about the hate and harassment Chris has received after the race," Verstappen wrote. He added that while people have opinions about racing, "these personal attacks are not okay." He also stated that "mistakes can happen" and that such abuse has no place in the sport.
Incident details and race results
The incident occurred during the second stint of the race while Lulham drove the #3 Mercedes. Ben Barnicoat initially moved the machine from 13th on the grid to 7th, but Lulham later made an aggressive move at Turn 8. This driver had ensured the ascent to 7th place continued before the setback occurred. Following that aggressive move at Turn 8, Lulham made contact with a Mercedes driven by Luca Stolz, which sent Stolz spinning and resulted in a drive-through penalty that effectively ended the team’s victory hopes. Lulham served the penalty before handing the car to Verstappen with 45 minutes left on the clock. Verstappen noted that Chris had a really strong stint before the setback occurred.
| Race Detail | Data |
|---|---|
| Car Number | #3 Mercedes |
| Race Length | 3 hours |
| Lulham’s starting stint position | 7th |
| Verstappen’s starting position | 24th |
| Verstappen’s final position | P9 |
Verstappen joined the race in 24th place and drove to a P9 finish after the penalty. This GT race took place during the break between Formula 1 triple-headers at the Portimao circuit, which returns to the F1 calendar next year. Verstappen is currently chasing a runner-up finish in the 2026 Drivers’ Championship after his wins in Malaysia and Singapore. His recent form includes a victory in Malaysia for Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, which was the first win for that manufacturer. This was followed by an assured Sprint victory in damp conditions and a controlled Grand Prix win in Singapore. The next F1 triple-header begins with the United States Grand Prix.
