Four-time Formula 1 champion Max Verstappen has returned to Portugal to test his GT3 car at the start of the 2026 season.

Last year the Dutch driver took to the track several times in his touring cars; in particular, he participated in the Nordschleife competition, which he won together with his teammate Chris Lulem.

Verstappen has long expressed his passion for endurance racing and plans to compete more frequently in the form of motorsport after retiring from Formula 1. He arrived in Portugal last year, just a week after failing to win another world title against Lando Norris.

The 28-year-old driver arrived at the Portuguese Grand Prix circuit Estoril, where he tested the Mercedes AMG GT3 on wet surfaces.

Let’s remember, at the end of 2025, Verstappen’s endurance racing team announced that it had signed a contract with Mercedes to participate in future competitions.

Verstappen in Mercedes’ Portimão. Images are in the foreground. #daznf1 pic.twitter.com/1NFxvED3So

— joao carlos costa (@jcccomentador) January 14, 2026

McLaren CEO Zak Brown is confident Oscar Piastri will continue to improve after the Australian driver won the Formula 1 championship last season.

Piastri could become the first Australian champion since Alan Jones in 1980. He led the overall standings for 15 stages and almost six months, from the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in April until the Mexican Grand Prix in October, when he lost the lead.

At the end of the 24-stage season, the Australian lost 13 points to teammate Lando Norris, who eventually became champion. Max Verstappen finished the race 11 points ahead of Piastri after a late-season collapse.

Throughout the year, Piastri repeatedly expressed his dissatisfaction with team decisions, especially at the Italian and Singapore Grand Prix; According to him, McLaren preferred Norris, which was also reflected in their radio conversations.

But Zac Brown insists Piastri’s contribution deserves the biggest praise and believes his time will come.

“He’s had an incredible season. It’s easy to forget that Oscar has only been racing in Formula 1 for three years.”

He drives with experience and skill that belies his age and always behaves as professionally as possible.

From day one we knew we had a real star. I have no doubt that his star will continue to rise.”

Legendary Formula 1 pilot Heinz-Harald Frentzen expressed an unexpected opinion about who will win the championship title in the 2026 season.

Frentzen raced in F1 from 1994 to 2003, competing for five different teams: Sauber, Williams, Jordan, Prost and Arous. But despite countless appearances, he was never at the right place and time to compete for the title.

In the fourth season, Frentzen became vice-champion of the Jordanian team, losing only to teammate Jacques Villeneuve after Michael Schumacher was disqualified in the final standings. This remains his best result in his career.

Just before the start of the 2026 season, as 11 teams prepared to subject their cars to new technical regulations, 58-year-old Frentzen published an unexpected prediction on social media.

Frentzen’s former Jordan teammate Damon Hill asked him at “X” who would win the title in 2026, and Frentzen replied:

“Fernando Alonso.”

Two-time champion Fernando Alonso is preparing to start his 23rd season in Formula 1, his fourth with Aston Martin. The team was actively preparing for the 2026 season by investing all the necessary resources in the car and inviting the best experts from Mercedes, Red Bull, Ferrari and other teams. Among the main experts is the legendary engineer Adrian Newey.

Fernando Alonso

— Heinz Harald Frentzen (@frentzen_hh) January 11, 2026