Verstappen Condemns Online Abuse Against Teammate Lulham

Max Verstappen has stepped up to defend his teammate Chris Lulham, who faced online abuse after an incident during the GT World Challenge Europe finale in Portimao. Lulham's error during the race led to a penalty for Verstappen Racing, but Verstappen insists that mistakes are part of racing and abuse is never justified.

Lulham was driving the #3 Mercedes during the three-hour race at Portimao, which will host the Portuguese Grand Prix next year. After a strong start by Ben Barnicoat, Lulham continued to improve their position until a move at Turn 8 led to contact with Luca Stolz, resulting in a penalty. This effectively dashed the team's hopes of victory, with Lulham serving the penalty before Verstappen took over.

Despite the setback, Verstappen managed an impressive recovery drive, finishing ninth. However, Lulham was targeted with online hate following the race. Verstappen responded by supporting his teammate on social media, stating, "Everyone can have their opinions about what happened on track, but these personal attacks are not okay. Chris had a really strong stint and mistakes can happen. There's no place for this kind of abuse in our sport or anywhere else."

Verstappen was participating in the GT World Challenge during a break between Formula 1 races, having recently added to his accolades with victories in Singapore and Malaysia. As the Formula 1 season resumes with a triple-header starting at the United States Grand Prix, Verstappen remains focused on his racing ambitions, while also standing firm against the negativity affecting his teammate.