Max Verstappen is standing up for his teammate, and he is right to do it. Chris Lulham endured a surge of online personal attacks following a crash at the Portimao finale of the GT World Challenge Europe season. This kind of behavior has no place in racing or anywhere else.
Lulham tried a move on the inside of Luca Stolz at Turn 8. The stewards called it an avoidable collision. As a result, the #3 Mercedes-AMG GT3 prepared by 2 Seas Motorsport for Verstappen Racing was issued a drive-through penalty.
Verstappen shuts down the online harassment
The penalty was brutal for the team. It dropped the car from a potential podium finish down to 24th place. While the racing part is part of the job, the social media vitriol is not. According to Motorsport.com, Verstappen used Instagram to address the hate directed at Lullam.
“I feel it is necessary to address the hate and harassment Chris received after the race,” Verstappen said. He made it clear that while people can dislike a driving move, they should not attack the person. “Everyone is entitled to their own opinion about what happened on track, but these personal attacks are not okay,” Verstappen said.
I see this a lot in sports. People think a keyboard gives them permission to be cruel. It does not. Verstappen even noted that “mistakes happen” and that Lulham put in a “really strong stint.” He is protecting a friend and a teammate from unnecessary venom.
The reality of the Portimao race
The race was a wild ride for the Verstappen Racing squad. Lulham and Verstappen share a history in virtual racing through Team Redline. Lulham is actually the first driver to move into real competition through this new initiative. That is a huge step for a young driver, and it comes with high pressure.
The team had a rough start to the weekend too. Lulham mentioned the team struggled with a setup error during qualifying. Despite the penalty and the spin, Verstappen managed to drive a recovery stint to finish ninth. It was a rollercoaster, but the driver stayed focused on the track rather than the noise.
Lulham expressed regret over the contact with the #48 car.
