Max Verstappen’s highly anticipated debut in the GT World Challenge Europe season finale on Saturday at Portimao delivered plenty of drama, but ultimately ended in a hard-fought ninth-place finish for the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG Team Verstappen Racing squad.

With regular drivers Jules Gounon and Dani Juncadella called away to Barcelona for an FIA World Endurance Championship commitment, the four-time Formula 1 world champion stepped in to anchor the line-up alongside Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham.

Barnicoat spearheaded the early charge in the three-hour endurance showcase. Lining up 14th on the grid, the British racer staged a blistering 66-minute opening stint, slicing through the GT3 pack to deliver the car to pit lane in second place.

Penalty ruins podium hopes

The team’s promising position quickly unraveled during the middle stint.

Lulham rejoined the fray in eighth position and looked set to consolidate a solid top-ten run. However, late in his run, contact with the No. 11 Mercedes earned the entry a costly drive-through penalty.

The extra pit lane visit dropped the No. 3 machine all the way down to 16th. Verstappen took over the wheel for the final 45 minutes, emerging from the pits in a daunting 24th position.

The Dutch star immediately began carving through the order, but a Safety Car deployment – triggered by the stranded No. 46 BMW in the gravel – temporarily halted his momentum.

Verstappen’s spirited charge back into the top ten

When racing resumed with 23 minutes remaining, Verstappen restarted from 19th and launched an aggressive closing sprint. Showcasing his trademark racecraft, he picked off car after car in the closing laps to salvage ninth place at the chequered flag.

Out front, Fabian Schiller steered the No. 17 Mercedes-AMG Team GetSpeed entry to victory. Lionspeed GP's No. 80 Porsche and the No. 2 Boutsen VDS Porsche completed the podium in second and third.

Rounding out the top five were Selected Car Racing's No. 71 Ferrari and Team WRT's No. 30 BMW. Further back in the top ten, the No. 59 McLaren claimed sixth, flanked by the No. 998 BMW, the No. 6 Mercedes, Verstappen's No. 3 entry, and the No. 50 Ferrari.