Max Verstappen proved to be a big draw in Portimao for the GT World Challenge Europe finale, with Stephane Ratel admitting there would have been a 'small spectator audience' if it were not for the Dutchman.
The four-time Formula 1 champion, alongside MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi, were the headline acts at the race in Portimao, with Verstappen producing a remarkable comeback from 24th to 9th after his team served a drive-through penalty.
“When you visit our events, you see that the biggest change is the audience. We’re really starting to attract spectators, and those numbers are growing quickly,” Ratel said. Verstappen’s presence has been decisive in Portimao. Ratel made no secret of the fact that interest would have been much lower without the Dutchman.
“Let’s not fool ourselves: without Max Verstappen, we would have had very few spectators here. What you see here is the result of Max Verstappen. Ticket sales started to rise as soon as his participation was announced. They were slow at first, I have to say, but in the last few days they really picked up. Now we have a good crowd and a great atmosphere.”
GT World Challenge Europe's Facebook page posted that there were 28,000 fans in attendance at Portimao. Meanwhile, the SRO YouTube channel that streams every race the organisation runs, passed one million subscribers in the days before the event. Sunday's race brought in around two million views.
Verstappen praised after stunning final stint
Stefan Wendl, Head of Mercedes-AMG Customer Racing, praised Max Verstappen's final stint at the GT World Challenge Europe race in Portimao, in which he recovered to ninth place. Wendl believed that Verstappen Racing could have achieved more without its drive-through penalty.
“It was fantastic to have Max join his own team, especially after having him at the Nürburgring,” Wendl told GPblog after the race in Portimão. “I’m really happy that he finished the race with us in the points. Without that small incident, much more would have been possible.
“If you saw him driving in the final hour, it was a fantastic stint. It was something for everyone to watch and enjoy.”