Max Verstappen speaks out firmly about driver ‘hate’ after GT3 incident
Max Verstappen shared a heartfelt message after an incident during a GT3 race session. With no Formula 1 race this weekend, the four-time world champion took the chance to make his debut in the GT World Challenge Europe, driving the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 car.
He teamed up with two British drivers—Ben Barnicoat, a former 24 Hours of Le Mans class winner, and sim racing expert Chris Lulham. During the race in Portimao, Lulham got involved in contact while trying to overtake, which led to a drive-through penalty. This affected the team’s overall performance when Verstappen took his turn in the car.
The #3 team finished ninth in Portimao, though there was a bright spot as another Mercedes team – Maximilian Gotz, Ralf Aron, and Fabian Schiller – claimed the top podium spot.
After the race, some fans sent negative and abusive messages to Lulham on Instagram, many criticizing his background in sim racing. In response, Verstappen took to his own Instagram the day after the race to speak out against the abuse. He praised Lulham for a “really strong stint” except for the one mistake and reminded everyone that personal attacks are never okay.
“Exciting weekend!” Verstappen wrote. “I was happy to race our GT3 car in Portimao. We had some ups and downs but learned a lot as a team. I also want to say that the hate Chris has received after the race isn’t right. Everyone can have opinions about what happened, but personal attacks are not acceptable. Mistakes happen, and Chris did a great job overall. There’s no place for this kind of abuse in our sport or anywhere else.”
Verstappen wasn’t alone in defending Lulham. The popular Endurance Media Instagram account also spoke out, saying personal attacks on any driver “are never justifiable.” Verstappen even liked their post.
Their message reminded fans that mistakes and contact happen to all drivers, no matter their experience or track record. They highlighted Lulham’s impressive achievements in both virtual racing and real-world motorsport, including winning the Radical Cup UK with 16 wins in 18 races. They stressed that one incident doesn’t define a driver’s talent or character and that everyone should stand against hate in motorsport.
Next weekend, Verstappen returns to Formula 1 action at the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Texas. He’s already won four times at the Circuit of the Americas, including the 2025 race, so fans will be excited to see him back in his Red Bull car.