Max Verstappen raises his palm to his forehead — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen cannot keep away from motorsport with the Dutchman in attendance at Paul Ricard this weekend as rumours swirl about a potential F1 exit.

A five-week break from F1 may never have been more welcome for Verstappen and Red Bull, after another difficult weekend at Suzuka where an eighth place finish was the best the four-time champion could muster.

His post-race interview, in which a weary Verstappen outlined his grievances with the new F1 cars, has since caused concern he could leave the sport altogether, with reports in the Dutch media that Verstappen was ‘seriously considering’ retirement.

F1 will be the furthest concern from Verstappen’s mind in the coming weeks however, as the Dutchman prepares for the 24h Nurburgring qualifiers which take place on April 18 and 19.

Before then however, Verstappen couldn’t resist a further GT appearance, although this time was content to support the drivers rather than to race.

Verstappen at GT World Challenge Europe

This weekend (April 11-12) the opening round of the GT World Challenge Europe will take place at the Circuit Paul Ricard, before moving onto Brands Hatch and Monza next month.

Taking part this weekend will be none other than Aston Martin F1 star Lance Stroll, who has used the cancellations of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix to emulate Verstappen and enjoy some GT running of his own.

Stroll will get behind the wheel of the Comtoyou Racing, Aston Martin Vantage GT3 car alongside Roberto Merhi and Mari Boya.

They will find themselves rivals with Verstappen’s racing team however, even though the champion himself isn’t competing. Nevertheless, the Dutchman arrived at Paul Ricard for the Prologue test (taking place April 8-9) with Dani Juncadella, who won alongside Verstappen and Jules Gounon at the Nurburgring in March – before the car was ultimately disqualified.

The Spaniard will drive Verstappen Racing’s No.3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 EVO in the Endurance Cup this year, after the team announced their step up to the Pro class for the first time in 2026.

Juncadella, Gounon will reunite with Verstappen, alongside Lucas Auer, for the iconic Nurburgring 24 Hours in May.

 

GT World Challenge Calendar 2026

 

 

Round
Date
Race

1
April 11-12
Circuit Paul Ricard

2
May 2-3
Brands Hatch

3
May 29-31
Monza

4
June 24-28
24 Hours of Spa

5
July 17-19
Misano

6
July 31-August 2
Magny-Cours

7
August 28-30
Nurburgring

8
September 18-20
Zandvoort

9
October 2-4
Barcelona

10
October 16-18
Portimao