Will Max Verstappen rival follow example and divert focus from F1?

Lance Stroll's participation in GT3 racing at Paul Ricard this weekend has sparked questions about whether he might follow Max Verstappen's path in splitting his attention between Formula 1 and endurance competition.

The Aston Martin driver is making his GT World Challenge Europe debut in the six-hour season opener, sharing the #18 Aston Martin Vantage GT3 Evo with former F1 driver Roberto Merhi and F2's Mari Boya under the Comtoyou Racing banner.

Stroll is taking advantage of an unexpected five-week break in the F1 calendar, created by the cancellation of the Bahrain and Saudi Arabian Grands Prix due to the ongoing conflict in the Middle East.

The opportunity arose during the Japanese Grand Prix weekend in late March, when Stroll discussed the possibility with Merhi over dinner.

Intriguingly, Stroll consulted Verstappen at Suzuka about entering GT racing. "We talked about who to contact, and since he's already involved in GT racing, we discussed it a bit," Stroll explained, leveraging the four-time world champion's connections in the endurance scene.

Verstappen has been actively competing in the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie this year, preparing for his Nürburgring 24 Hours debut in May whilst maintaining his Red Bull commitments.

This is not Stroll's first foray into endurance racing. He finished fifth overall at the 2016 24 Hours of Daytona for Ford Chip Ganassi Racing alongside Alexander Wurz, Brendon Hartley and Andy Priaulx, before returning in 2018 to finish 15th with Jackie Chan DCR Jota.

Whether this weekend represents a one-off opportunity or the start of a more sustained dual programme remains to be seen, particularly given Aston Martin's difficult start to 2026.

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