Verstappen reprimanded for Portimao collision, then qualifies 15th for GT World Challenge finale

Max Verstappen's first GT World Challenge Europe weekend has been a mixed one. The four-time Formula 1 world champion was handed a reprimand and a behavioural warning point for causing a collision in Friday's opening practice at Portimao, and his Mercedes-AMG crew then qualified 15th for the three-hour season finale in Portugal. The race was scheduled to start at 5pm local time on Saturday, 17 October, which is midnight in Malaysia (early on Sunday, 18 October).

The first-practice collision

The incident happened on the opening lap of FP1 on Friday morning. Verstappen, driving the No.3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing car, tried to pass Ezequiel Perez Companc's No.25 Audi on the inside at Turn 3, and the two made contact as the Audi turned in, sending it into a spin.

After an investigation, the stewards ruled that the No.3 car caused an avoidable collision and was wholly to blame. They accepted mitigating factors, noting that it happened on the first lap of the session and that a queue of cars had affected the Audi's line. As a result, Verstappen escaped a grid penalty and received a reprimand plus one behavioural warning point instead.

From 20th to fourth in practice

The No.3 car, which Verstappen shares with Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham, finished FP1 down in 20th. The trio improved sharply in the second session, ending FP2 in fourth. Verstappen and his team-mates are standing in for regular Mercedes drivers Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella, who were committed to a World Endurance Championship clash.

Qualifying: stuck in 15th

GT World Challenge qualifying uses three segments, one for each driver, and the grid is set by the average of their times. Barnicoat ran first and Lulham second, with Verstappen taking Q3. The car never climbed above 15th in any of the three parts, and its average of 1m42.624s left it 0.553 seconds off pole.

Pole went to the No.2 Boutsen VDS Porsche of Morris Schuring, Dorian Boccolacci and Alessio Picariello with an average of 1m42.071s. The No.17 GetSpeed Mercedes was second, just over a tenth behind.

Rossi at the back

MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, one of the big names in the 61-car field, had a tougher day. He ran wide during Q2 and had his lap deleted for exceeding track limits, which voided the combined time of his No.46 WRT BMW. The car will start 60th, second to last.

How to watch in Malaysia

The Portimao race is streamed for free on the GT World YouTube channel. With a 5pm local start and a three-hour duration, the race runs from midnight to about 3am Malaysia time on Sunday, 18 October. Verstappen then heads to Austin, where he will continue his F1 season at the United States Grand Prix on 23-25 October.

Key takeaways

• Stewards found Verstappen wholly to blame for an FP1 collision with the No.25 Audi, giving him a reprimand and one behavioural warning point.
• The No.3 Mercedes shared with Barnicoat and Lulham qualified 15th, 0.553 seconds off pole.
• Boutsen VDS Porsche took pole; Valentino Rossi's BMW starts 60th after a deleted lap.
• The three-hour race starts at midnight Malaysia time and is free on the GT World YouTube channel.

FAQ

Did Verstappen get a grid penalty at Portimao? No. He received a reprimand and one behavioural warning point, so he keeps his 15th-place starting spot.

Who are Verstappen's team-mates in the No.3 car? Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham share the Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing car with him.

What time is the Portimao race in Malaysia? It starts at midnight on Sunday, 18 October, Malaysia time and lasts three hours.

Sources: Crash.net, PlanetF1, GPFans, Grande Prêmio