Max Verstappen Condemns Online Abuse Against Teammate Chris Lulham After Portimao Penalty
Max Verstappen condemned online abuse aimed at teammate Chris Lulham on October 18, after a collision during the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup finale in PortimΓ£o resulted in a drive-through penalty. Verstappen recovered from 24th to finish ninth.
Key Takeaways
- Race Collision: Chris Lulham made contact with Luca Stolz while battling for fifth position on the track.
- Drive-Through Penalty: The stewards penalised the entry, forcing the car down to 24th place.
- Exceptional Recovery: Max Verstappen gained 15 positions during his final stint to rescue a ninth-place finish.
- Verstappen Statement: The four-time Formula 1 world champion publicly condemned the personal attacks directed at Lulham.
Collision Triggers Mid-Race Penalty And Social Media Backlash
The incident occurred during the three-hour Endurance Cup finale at the Algarve International Circuit on October 17. Lulham, sharing the No. 3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 with Verstappen and Ben Barnicoat, made contact with Luca Stolz’s Mercedes while attempting an overtake.
The stewards imposed a drive-through penalty on the Verstappen Racing entry.
According to an event summary by GPblog, Verstappen delivered a strong comeback drive to finish the event in ninth place.
The result also placed the No. 3 Mercedes fifth in the Pro Cup class. Despite recovering 15 positions on the track, Lulham became the target of intense criticism and personal attacks across multiple online platforms.
Verstappen Demands Accountability Across Digital Platforms
Verstappen addressed the online hostility in a post on social media. “I also feel I need to speak up about the hate and harassment Chris has received after the race,” he wrote, according to PlanetF1. “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.”
Speaking ahead of the United States Grand Prix in Austin, Verstappen put the blame on the platforms themselves for allowing anonymous abuse. “That starts already with the social media companies themselves, where you can make as many troll accounts as well, with no real names or addresses attached to them,” he said, according to Crash.net. Abuse aimed at him personally did not bother him, he added, but the attacks on his young teammate were “quite extreme, and that’s why I felt the need to put that statement out.”
