Verstappen responds as Portimao penalty triggers teammate online abuse
Max Verstappen has responded to abuse leveled at Chris Lulham.
Max Verstappen liked a post condemning online abuse directed towards his Verstappen Racing teammate Chris Lulham.
The Brit was involved in an incident which triggered a drive-through penalty at the GT World Challenge Europe finale at Portimao.
Max Verstappen like speaks volumes
From 15th on the grid, Ben Barnicoat had elevated the #3 Mercedes up to seventh at the end of his stint, handing over to Lulham for the next phase.
His fellow Brit continued the ascent, until an aggressive move down the inside at Turn 8 resulted in contact with a fellow Mercedes, driven by Luca Stolz, who was sent spinning.
The stewards dished out a drive-through penalty for that incident, effectively ending the team’s victory hopes. Lulham served it shortly before handing over to Verstappen, who admitted after the race that it was a “deserved” sanction for his team.
The Dutchman strapped himself in with 45 minutes left on the clock. He joined the track with his team now 24th, storming his way to a P9 finish.
In a very distressing turn of events, Lulham has since been subjected to online hate.
A detailed post on the endurance.media Instagram page condemned the treatment of Lulham, who in recent years has made a successful transition from virtual to real-world racing.
Verstappen was one of thousands to like the post, standing with his younger teammate.
The post reads: “Following today’s three-hour GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup season finale at Portimão, Chris Lulham has received considerable hate on social media after an on-track contact incident resulted in a drive-through penalty.
“Mistakes and contact are part of motorsport. They happen at every level, regardless of a driver’s experience, achievements or reputation. Discussing an incident or questioning a driver’s actions is perfectly reasonable, but personal abuse is never justified.
“It is also worth remembering what Chris Lulham has achieved. One of the biggest names in esports racing, he successfully made the transition from virtual competition to real-world motorsport, winning the Radical Cup UK with an impressive 16 victories in 18 races.
“He has consistently demonstrated his pace over recent years, progressing into a full Pro driver line-up this season. His achievements reflect years of commitment, talent and development.
“One incident does not define a driver’s ability, achievements or character.
“As drivers, team owners, sponsors, marshals, fans, journalists and everyone else involved in motorsport, we share a passion for the same sport. Racing involves competition, pressure, difficult decisions and occasional mistakes.
“We stand firmly against hate and personal abuse directed at any driver or anyone involved in motorsport, regardless of who they are or which team they represent.
“Every driver deserves respect, even when things go wrong.”
More on Max Verstappen from PlanetF1.com
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Verstappen returns to Formula 1 action next week with the United States Grand Prix, marking the start of the next triple-header.
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