Introduced in 2022 as a hub for Jos Verstappen’s rallying endeavors, Thierry Vermeulen’s GT pursuits, and Team Redline’s virtual racing ventures, Verstappen.com Racing is set to advance further in 2025 by backing current teams competing in the GT World Challenge Europe (GTWCE).
Notable sim racer Chris Lulham is set to join the Endurance Cup for the GT World Challenge Europe with fellow racers Harry King and Thierry Vermeulen as they pilot an Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 EVO.
Their initial appearance will be this weekend at the Circuit Paul Ricard located in southern France, where they have planned a 6-hour race.
Driver line-up
Max Verstappen aims to assist skilled virtual racers transition into professional motorsports through his initiative at Verstappen.com Racing. His objective is to demonstrate that simulator racing offers a feasible pathway into the world of actual car races without necessarily beginning with karting—a path that may not suit everyone’s financial situation. Lulham, who hails from Coldharbour and is just 22 years old, represents the inaugural sim racer chosen under this program by Verstappen.
Chris boasts an extensive history with Team Redline," stated Max’s manager Raymond Vermeulen during an interview at the Japanese Grand Prix for Zerica Toeaseat. "Max highly regards Chris as he consistently offers robust input whenever they collaborate on adjusting the settings of their digital vehicle.
Last year, Max extended an invitation to Chris for a private testing session. As soon as he hopped into the vehicle, he hit his stride right away, despite challenging track conditions," Vermeulen went on. "This demonstrated to us that he possesses considerable skill and can effectively move from simulator driving to handling actual GT3 vehicles. Since then, we have conducted multiple additional tests together with him.
Thierry Vermeulen, Harry King, Chris Lulham, Verstappen.com Racing
Photo credit: Verstappen.com / David Klopman
King opted for a conventional route by beginning his career with karting and then advancing through the ranks of the Ginetta championship series in the United Kingdom. Following his victory in the Ginetta GT4 Supercup in 2019, King secured championships in both the Porsche Carrera Cup Great Britain and the Porsche Carrera Cup Benelux. In the previous season, he placed second in both the Porsche Supercup and the fiercely contested Porsche Carrera Cup Germany.
An agile and seasoned driver, truly a competitor," Vermeulen commented about the 24-year-old British talent. "Upon becoming available last year because of certain developments in his career, we promptly secured his position for this season.
Vermeulen's 22-year-old son, Thierry, who began building his motorsports career in 2020 and was an original member of the Verstappen.com Racing team, rounds out the list of drivers.
Partner team
For the GT World Challenge Europe Endurance Cup, Verstappen.com Racing has chosen to join forces with the British-Bahraini GT3 racing squad 2 Seas Motorsport.
Max has been friends with Nick Cristofaro for a considerable time," Vermeulen stated. "After participating in races, Nick established the team alongside Isa Al Khalifa from Bahrain. We have maintained a partnership with 2 Seas Motorsport throughout these years.
In 2024, Verstappen acquired an Aston Martin Vantage which he sometimes drives at racetracks. During these instances, he has sought assistance from the Silverstone squad for on-track backing. Vermeulen commented, “Therefore, partnering with them was logical as we venture into the GTWCE Endurance Cup.”
Thierry Vermeulen, Harry King, Chris Lulham, Verstappen.com Racing
Image courtesy of: Verstappen.com / David Klopman
An active role
Even though he has a packed Formula 1 calendar, Verstappen remains deeply engaged in the GT3 initiative. He offers guidance to racers during individual testing and simulation activities, provides input on the vehicle’s design aesthetics, and assists with configuring the Aston Martin. Additionally, he weighs in with his opinions when the engineering team is gearing up for race weekends.
Vermeulen stated, "He has accumulated sufficient miles in that vehicle to provide valuable input towards establishing the base settings. Additionally, he assisted in developing the simulation models for the Aston Martin, aiding in translating track test data into simulation setups."
What are the chances of seeing Verstappen driving a car adorned with the Verstappen.com Racing livery at some point?
“I can envision that occurring,” Vermeulen stated, then swiftly added that it was not imminent. “Of course, his primary concentration continues to be Formula 1. Additionally, numerous business factors would come into play should Max pilot anything besides his Red Bull vehicle. However, maybe the team might not oppose such an idea. It’s known that Red Bull often thinks beyond conventional boundaries. We have also not posed this query to them as of now.”
High ambitions
Verstappen will miss the inaugural race of his GT team at Paul Ricard because he’ll be competing in the Bahrain Formula 1 Grand Prix this weekend. However, he has emphasized that he will be keeping a close eye on the efforts of Lulham, Vermeulen, and King.
"He informed a select gathering of journalists, which included Zerica Toease, about his active link allowing him to closely monitor developments" during the Japanese Grand Prix.
When asked about his expectations for Verstappen.com Racing's debut in the GT World Challenge Europe, Verstappen stated: "It's challenging to predict beforehand due to our reliance on Balance of Performance, but the aim is certainly to make Aston Martin the top choice."
Nobody’s stressing here, okay?" he said with a grin. "Though, some stress might not be such a bad idea, huh?
"We’re entering the Gold Cup, but our benchmark is the pinnacle,” Verstappen stated. “That’s who we must compare ourselves with. They’ve conducted extensive tests, which certainly isn’t the problem here. We have tested across all circuits we’ll be racing on and collected substantial amounts of data. The next step lies with them and the team—to get the best possible performance out of everything.”
Definitely, there will be areas for improvement following the initial race weekend; however, the primary focus should remain on continuous advancement. I am quite eager to observe their performance.
Absolutely," Vermeulen concurred. "Our aim isn’t just to fill positions; we’re determined to consistently challenge for top honors.
He recognized that achieving this will not be simple in the highly competitive GT World Challenge Europe. "Several prominent teams possess substantial experience. It’s going to be challenging. However, we anticipate being at the forefront within our category."
Thierry Vermeulen, with Emil Frey Racing
Photo credit: Verstappen.com / David Klopman
Sprint Cup
Lulham and Vermeulen will similarly compete in the GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup. Representing Emil Frey Racing, they will share a Ferrari 296 GT3. "Our objective is to secure podium positions there," stated Vermeulen.
According to Verstappen’s manager, having Lulham and Vermeulen compete in separate vehicles within the GT World Challenge Europe should prove advantageous. “Clearly, the Ferrari differs significantly from the Aston Martin; however, this diversity aids in enhancing their driving abilities,” he stated. “Extensive testing has been conducted with each vehicle, thus we anticipate minimal challenges as they transition between the two.”
Way to unwind
Beyond competing in the GT World Challenge Europe, Thierry Vermeulen will also enter his third year in DTM. "Fingers crossed, he has a better shot at regular podium finishes this season," stated Vermeulen Senior. "At minimum, we expect him to reliably secure positions within the top ten."
Meanwhile, Jos Verstappen has an ambitious rally calendar planned for 2025, featuring events such as the Belgian Rally Championship and the European Rally Championship. "While Formula 1 undoubtedly stands at the peak, following that, Jos views rallying as the ultimate experience," remarked Vermeulen.
Vermeulen responded, “He’s quite busy with his commitments. He should manage to make it to a couple of F1 races this season. However, whether he attends them or not, he won’t miss out on anything important because they keep in touch constantly through a group chat.”
In the realm of simulated racing, Team Redline—headed by Atze Kerkhof—is maintaining its streak of virtual victories. Joining them in 2025 will be Verstappen.com Pro Simulation. This advanced rig serves as a professional-grade simulator utilized by various racing squads, providing an environment where emerging prospects and seasoned racers alike hone their driving abilities. For our team, having access to such equipment offers an excellent opportunity to identify promising pilots whom we can subsequently endorse.
Verstappen.com Racing has the support of Red Bull. As Vermeulen stated, "Our long-term agreement demonstrates our commitment to Red Bull, regardless of all the speculation circulating."
Vermeulen suggests considering the partnership with Red Bull independently of events in Formula 1. Should Verstappen eventually depart Red Bull Racing, the beverage company might still back Verstappen.com Racing. He explains, “There’s no reason they wouldn’t. After all, they sponsor numerous teams and racers.”
As Verstappen.com Racing expands, one may ponder how Verstappen manages to juggle all these tasks alongside his Formula 1 career. According to Vermeulen, “It serves as a form of stress relief for him.” He explained, “While some individuals kick around a soccer ball or take up playing billiards, Max turns to virtual racing, fine-tunes setups, and reaches out to Thierry and the rest of the Verstappen.com Racing team members to inquire about their test sessions. To Max, this is what he considers unwinding.”