Max Verstappen has made no secret of his enjoyment of racing outside Formula 1, and the four-time world champion is set to take on his latest racing challenge.
There is little time for rest for the Dutchman, who heads to Portimão to compete in the latest GT World Challenge event, sandwiched between two F1 triple-headers.
The one-off event will also feature some of the best drivers in the world, including World Endurance Championship title winner Nicki Thiim, nine-time MotoGP world champion Valentino Rossi, who competes for BMW in the World Endurance Championship, and Ferrari development driver Arthur Leclerc.
Here's everything you need to know about the 10th and final round of the GT World Challenge.
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- 'Chucky' Verstappen is back. Luckily for Antonelli and Mercedes, it's too late
Why is Verstappen racing this weekend?
Verstappen has been one of the biggest critics around F1's controversial new regulations, calling them "anti-racing."
Things are, however, on the up after he took his first victory this season at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia, before following it up with a dominant win in Singapore, as Red Bull continue to thrive with its upgraded package.
Despite finding success in F1, the simple reason why he's back to GT racing this weekend is due to some of Verstappen Racing's usual drivers not being available to compete. Dani Juncadella and Jules Gounon have a World Endurance Championship calendar clash with the Portuguese round on Oct. 18.
Verstappen decided to step in and will be racing alongside Ben Barnicoat and Chris Lulham.
"I know that two of my drivers won't be part of the line-up, so two other drivers need to step in and I'm looking forward to it," Verstappen said.
"It's going to be a busy seven weeks, but we'll do it and I enjoy it anyway. So, yeah. Let's see what we can do there."
It's set to be a busy weekend with the GT2 European Series, GT4 European Series and McLaren Trophy Europe all set to crown their champions.
The 29-year-old will be back in his Red Bull a week later in Texas for F1's United States Grand Prix, where he will target a third win in a row.
GT World Challenge schedule
All times in BST
Thursday, October 15
Official Paid Test Session 1: 11.50 a.m.
Bronze test: 5.40 p.m.
Friday, October 16
Free Practice 1: 8.45 a.m.
Qualifying: 5.55 p.m. - 7.05 p.m.
Saturday, October 17
Race: 5 p.m. - 8 p.m.
How to watch
The GT World Challenge will be streamed on the official GT World YouTube Channel or via the GT World Challenge Europe website.
Portimão Circuit
Built in the Algarve region in southern Portugal, the circuit is a mix of fast and slow corners which features some extreme elevation changes.
There are overtaking opportunities, but the 4.653km track is considered challenging with its 16 corners.
It's so popular that it's returning to the F1 calendar in 2027 and 2028. The race next year will take the place of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort.
Weather forecast
The weather forecast for the race in Portimão is set to be sunny with a gentle breeze, with highs of 27°C on Thursday through to race day on Saturday.
Verstappen's other racing ventures
During his debut GT3 race in the Nürburgring Endurance Series in September last year he landed a stunning victory in a Ferrari 296 entered by Emil Frey Racing.
In March, he drove a Mercedes-AMG GT3 through Verstappen Racing in the preliminary NLS2 race which is a four-hour endurance race. He won the race but was later disqualified over a tyre error.
A few months later he competed in one of motor racing's toughest endurance tests -- the iconic Nürburgring 24-hour race under Verstappen Racing driving a Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo.
He came close to ticking a dream off his list, but his car suffered a driveshaft issue with three hours of the race remaining.
Verstappen more recently took part in a more lighthearted challenge where he took on 100 creators and sports personalities in go-karts starting from the back of the grid. Nobody was sure how the race would unravel at the custom-built track at Silverstone, but he ended up passing every single driver to lead the race after 35 minutes.