Max Verstappen is set to participate in a GT World Challenge race in Portimão, Portugal, on October 18, filling a rare free week in an intensive Formula 1 schedule. The Dutch driver, who is currently competing in one of the most demanding stretches in F1 history, will temporarily join his own team, Verstappen Racing, to substitute for drivers Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon, who will be competing in a World Endurance Championship (WEC) race in Barcelona that same weekend.

This year’s Formula 1 calendar features an unprecedented nine races over the course of 11 weeks, including three consecutive triple-header sequences. Verstappen has been racing intensively during this period, having just completed the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, followed by the Malaysian Grand Prix, and then the upcoming Singapore Grand Prix.

Verstappen, 29, will race for seven consecutive weekends, blending his commitments in Formula 1 with his passion for GT racing. This will not be his first foray into endurance formats this year; in May, he took part in the Nürburgring 24 Hours event.

“I know that two of my drivers won’t be part of the line-up, so two other drivers need to step in and I’m looking forward to it,” Verstappen said. Despite acknowledging the demanding schedule ahead, he expressed enthusiasm for the challenge, adding, “It’s going to be a busy seven weeks, but we’ll do it and I enjoy it anyway.”

Verstappen’s participation in the Portimão event highlights the increasingly blurred lines between top-tier single-seater racing and GT and endurance motorsports, as drivers seek additional opportunities to compete across different formats throughout the racing season.