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Formula 1Sat 17 Oct 2026 · 4 of 15

Verstappen's team starts 15th after qualifying woes at Portimao GT race

Verified · 6/6 supported1 cited · 1 min read

The Race reports that Max Verstappen, Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat will start 15th for the GT World Challenge race at Portimao . The Race reports that Verstappen tapped Ezequiel Perez Companc's Audi into a spin on the first lap of morning practice, with stewards reviewing the incident but taking no action . The Race reports that by the end of the second practice session Verstappen's crew had climbed to fourth place . The Race reports that in qualifying their Mercedes ran low, kicked up abundant sparks and qualified only 15th on the 61‑car grid . The Race reports that the three‑hour race starts at 5 pm local time on Saturday, with the Boutsen VDS Porsche of Dorian Boccalacci, Morris Schuring and Alessio Picariello on pole .

Why it matters. The Race notes that the race will start at 5 pm with the Boutsen VDS Porsche on pole, establishing the starting order for the competitors .

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