Max Verstappen was not the only driver in Portugal last weekend with a surname steeped in F1 history. Lorenzo Patrese, son of former Formula 1 driver Riccardo Patrese, was also on the grid. The 21-year-old Italian has already gained plenty of experience in GT3 cars at a young age, and welcomed Verstappen to the series.

Patrese Jr. committed to GT racing at a young age. He raced in Formula 4 in 2020 and 2021 for the team run by Marco Antonelli, Kimi Antonelli’s father, before deciding to switch to GT cars. He was fast right away, and soon made his debut at the 24 Hours of Spa, the 24 Hours of Daytona, the 24 Hours of Le Mans and the 12 Hours of Bathurst. This year, he is competing for Kessel Racing in the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance series in the #74 Ferrari 296 GT3 Evo.

"It’s great to have Max here," Patrese told GPblog in Portimão. "I think he might even be enjoying GT racing more than Formula 1 this year!" the Italian laughs. "Okay, the last few Grands Prix have gone pretty well for him. But I don’t think we’ll cross paths in this race, because we’re competing in different classes." Patrese is part of a Bronze lineup, while Verstappen Racing has entered the Pro Cup.

"I’d definitely like to race against Max one day. I don’t think I’m at his level," he says modestly, "but I do have a few cards I can play. So it would definitely be fun," Patrese smiles. He certainly has plenty of experience, having competed in many GT championships and raced a variety of chassis.

Lorenzo Patrese in blue in front of Kessel Racing’s #74 Ferrari - Photo: SRO/JEP

Patrese has yet to tackle the Nordschleife

As mentioned, Patrese has already competed in several prestigious endurance races. He would love to add the 24 Hours of Nürburgring to that list. The four-time world champion made his debut there in May 2026. "Yes, we’ll see," Patrese says when asked about taking part himself. "It would be great. But he knows the Nordschleife better, so he has an advantage there!" he says, before explaining that he, like Verstappen, has also completed plenty of virtual laps.

Lorenzo Patrese does not expect to battle Max Verstappen in Portugal this weekend - Photo: SRO/JEP

Father and son in racing: ‘He got involved in the right way’

Patrese and Verstappen naturally have other things in common: their fathers are former Formula 1 drivers. Riccardo Patrese started a total of 256 Formula 1 races and drove for teams including Alfa Romeo and Williams. "I think my father always got involved in the right way: not too much, but he was always there. Especially at the start of my career, when, as I said, I started karting quite late. His help was incredibly important to me in those early years," Patrese explains.