Max Verstappen reveals 2027 GT racing target
Max Verstappen has reaffirmed his 2027 GT racing target.
Max Verstappen has reaffirmed his intention to compete in the Spa 24 Hours next season as part of the Intercontinental GT Challenge.
The Spa-Francorchamps event is the premier GT race on the calendar and follows Verstappen’s outings at the Nurburgring 24 Hours and GT World Challenge Europe this year.
Max Verstappen reaffirms Spa 24 Hours plans amid F1 schedule
Verstappen has made no secret of his desire to compete in selected events outside of his Formula 1 commitments.
The Dutchman joined Dani Juncadella, Lucas Auer, and Jules Gounon at the Nurburgring in May, leading the event until the latter stages when a drive shaft issue dropped them out of contention.
He was in action again at the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portimao, this time sharing the Team Verstappen Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Chris Lulham and Ben Barnicoat, as they finished ninth after three hours of racing.
More events are planned, with Verstappen reaffirming his intention to race at next year’s 24 Hours of Spa.
“It’s my favourite track, of course, so I’m trying to make it work,” he confirmed.
“I just need to plan it all well that, of course, when I arrive [I’m] also well prepared.
“I’m also Belgian, so it’s just nice to be there of do one of the biggest endurance events of the year.
“I’m going to try my best to be there.”
The 2027 edition of the Spa 24 takes place on June 24-27, the weekend between the Portuguese and British Grands Prix.
The event forms one of five rounds of the Intercontinental GT Challenge (IGTC), a collection of five endurance events across the globe that combine for a GT world championship of sorts and traditionally pulls the best teams and drivers around.
Next year’s IGTC will begin with the Bathurst 12 Hour, before the Texas 8 Hour and then the Nurburgring 24 Hours.
Following the 24 Hours of Spa, the series concludes at the Suzuka 100km, the only event of the five that clashes with the F1 calendar.
However, Verstappen is only expected to appear at the Nurburgring at Spa events.
Claims in the Australian media had suggested the Dutchman had registered an expression of interest for February’s Bathurst 12 Hour too, though PlanetF1 understands the event is not on Verstappen’s radar.
All five rounds of the IGTC are run as part of regional GT World Challenge competitions, the SRO Motorsport run competitions the benchmark for GT3 racing and attract a high calibre of entrant.
“Some of them I have raced already in the past,” Verstappen said of the quality of the GT World Challenge field.
“Some of those are a little bit older than me, but they have achieved a lot all over the world in every single category.
“So it’s a very high level. Everyone knows that. That’s why I think there’s so many cars on the grid.
“We want to compete in one of the highest, of the highest championship.
“Sharing the car with teammates is of course something that I haven’t really done in my life so far,” he added.
“Of course, I got a taste at the Nordschleife for the first time, so I really enjoyed that.
“To get the first opportunity here now in the GT World Challenge for me is just exciting.”
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While his career steered him to Formula 1, many of those on the GT World Challenge grid are familiar to the four-time world champion; he competed regularly against Barnicoat through his formative years.
“In go-karting we have raced a lot against each other, and then of course our careers went two ways,” Verstappen said.
“It’s good to catch up and now it’s nice to be able to share the car together.”
He added of Chris Lulham, a driver Verstappen has supported in the transition from sim racing to real world competition: “Chris is someone that I’ve worked with a long time in the sim racing world, and now for him to be racing here in the real world…
“It’s just every race making progress, getting better, getting more and more experience, and showing yourself between all the big boys in the paddock.”
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