After Portimão GT race: Verstappen speaks out against abuse of team-mate Lulham
A drive-through penalty, a charge from 24th to ninth – and then online abuse: Max Verstappen has defended his GT team-mate Chris Lulham.
Archive image · Photo: Liauzh / Wikimedia Commons, CC BY-SA 4.0 (cropped and resized)
Max Verstappen used Formula 1's off weekend for another outing in GT racing. At the three-hour season finale of the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup in Portimão, Portugal, the Red Bull driver shared the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 of his own Verstappen Racing team with Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham on Saturday. Barnicoat and Lulham had moved the car up to sixth before Lulham spun the No. 48 Mercedes in an overtaking attempt, earning the team a drive-through penalty.
Verstappen took over in 24th for the final stint and, according to RacingNews365, fought back to ninth – including a late move on Arthur Leclerc, brother of Ferrari driver Charles Leclerc. The No. 17 Mercedes took the win. According to PlanetF1, Verstappen called the penalty "deserved".
After the race, Lulham was personally attacked on social media. Verstappen responded on Instagram: "Everyone can have their opinions about what happened on track, but these personal attacks are not okay." Lulham had driven a strong stint and mistakes can happen, he added. "There's no place for this kind of abuse in our sport or anywhere else," the four-time world champion wrote (as quoted by RacingNews365). Formula 1 resumes next weekend in Austin.