Verstappen Racing climbs to fourth in Portimão Free Practice 2
Verstappen Racing moved from eighth to fourth in the closing stages of second practice at Portimão, with Chris Lulham delivering the team’s quickest lap after Max Verstappen and Ben Barnicoat had shared the opening running in the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3.
Verstappen took the first stint, as he had in FP1, but completed 12 laps rather than the 27 he managed earlier in the day. His initial 1:45.980 left the car 55th among 61 entries. He soon improved to 1:43.482, putting the team sixth at that point, four tenths behind Dylan Pereira’s #99 Audi.
The session came as Verstappen continued his GT World Challenge weekend in Portugal, following the team’s Portimão event opener.
Lulham’s late effort lifts the Mercedes into the top four
Barnicoat took over after Verstappen. The Briton could not better his team-mate’s time, although the drivers were following different programmes rather than focusing solely on a single fast lap. The car had completed 25 laps by the end of Barnicoat’s stint.
Lulham then added mileage, having made only one run in FP1. As the regular Verstappen Racing driver, he had the most experience of the team’s Mercedes-AMG GT3. Verstappen and Barnicoat, both experienced in GT3 racing, were more accustomed to driving Lexus and McLaren machinery respectively.
Lulham’s late 1:43.229 moved the team from eighth to fourth, where it finished the session. Barnicoat was given the closing minutes to collect information ahead of qualifying and the race.
Warmer conditions slow the field before qualifying
Fabian Schiller set the session’s fastest time in the #17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed car, recording a 1:42.988. He was the only driver to break the 103-second barrier. The #99 Audi and #65 Ford also ended the session ahead of Verstappen Racing.
Several drivers had reached the 1:42s in FP1, but warmer afternoon track conditions reduced grip and contributed to generally slower lap times. Qualifying for the GTWCE race is scheduled to begin at 17:55 local time.
F1LivePulse also has details on watching FP2 live at Portimão.
Simone Scanu
He’s a software engineer with a deep passion for Formula 1 and motorsport. He co-founded Formula Live Pulse to make live telemetry and race insights accessible, visual, and easy to follow.