Ben Barnicoat knows he must raise his pace to match Max Verstappen and Chris Lulham as the GT World Challenge Europe season finale unfolds at Portimao. Called up to join the #3 Verstappen Racing Mercedes-AMG GT3 alongside the four-time Formula 1 world champion and Lulham, Barnicoat is facing a steep challenge in the Algarve.
Verstappen, who hadn’t driven the Mercedes-AMG GT3 since the 2026 Nurburgring 24 Hours, immediately impressed during Thursday’s opening test sessions. Barnicoat described his teammate as “so down to earth, so onboard, but extremely talented,” adding that Verstappen’s speed was clear from his very first lap. “You’re already like, ‘Wow, okay’. It doesn’t take him much time to get up to speed with things.”
Lulham, meanwhile, has had a strong season and was performing well in Portimao. Barnicoat said of his two teammates, “I’m going to have to up my game, I think, to keep up with those two.”
Friday’s Free Practice 1 saw Verstappen complete a 48-minute run to assess tire degradation and balance stability. Barnicoat said Verstappen was “pretty happy” with the car’s setup but acknowledged that improvements were needed. “We definitely need to make it a little bit better,” he said. “I think so far the consensus has been we’ve got a quite fast car, but it’s not the easiest to drive.”
The team faced a particular challenge with the final right-hand sweeper at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve. Several Mercedes-AMG GT3 cars, including the Verstappen Racing entry, were bouncing heavily on a bump mid-corner. Barnicoat explained the importance of managing that issue over longer stints. “When you’ve got to do an hour-long stint, if it’s not easy, it catches up with you. So that was the idea behind doing a long run, just to try and make things a little easier and get us as well-prepared as we can be for tomorrow, especially at night.”
Barnicoat’s 20th-fastest lap time in FP1 didn’t concern him. He pointed out that the cooler morning conditions were probably the most representative of the race’s night-time temperatures. “We just wanted to get a good feel for where we’re at then.”
Returning to Mercedes-AMG GT3 machinery after last racing this car in early 2025 in the Asian Le Mans Series, Barnicoat said the transition from his usual Lexus IMSA factory ride required some adjustments but nothing drastic. “It’s not a new car for me, I’ve raced a Mercedes a few times, but obviously I’m used to racing in the Lexus, so it’s a bit of a familiarization, adjusting myself to it.”
He added that working with Verstappen and Lulham had been beneficial so far. “It’s been going pretty well. Obviously, we’ve got some really fast teammates, which has been good, and they’ve been doing a great job. So far, so good.”
Verstappen’s presence this weekend marks a reunion with Barnicoat since their early karting days, underscoring a unique team dynamic as the 2024 GT World Challenge Europe campaign closes out in Portugal.
According to Yahoo Sports.
