Photo via The Race

Penalty sets up epic Verstappen charge in his GT return

Max Verstappen made a dramatic return to GT racing at the Portimão GT World Challenge, delivering a thrilling late-race charge from a penalty-induced setback. After qualifying 15th due to a setup error, his teammate Chris Lulham took a drive-through penalty for aiding Luca Stolz’s Mercedes into a spin, forcing Verstappen to start his race in 24th place with just 45 minutes remaining.

Despite losing further time during a late safety car, Verstappen clawed his way back through the field, battling Arthur Leclerc’s Ferrari en route to a ninth-place finish. The crowd erupted as he crossed the line, salvaging a strong result in his first GT outing since Formula 1’s winter break.

The victory went to Ralf Aron, Fabian Schiller, and Maxi Götz in the GetSpeed Mercedes, while Verstappen’s 2 Seas Motorsport team also saw teammates Ben Barnicoat and Lulham push the car into the top 10 before the penalty hit.

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