F1 Today | Verstappen breaks silence on Lulham abuse as Hamilton's father praises Dutchman
Mercedes-AMG Motorsport is incredibly proud of Max Verstappen’s participation - Photo: SRO/JEP
Kieran is a freelance Formula 1 journalist for GPblog, covering breaking news, live race blogs and feature content across the F1 calendar. An NQJ-qualified journalist with more than a decade of experience, he has previously written for publications including MailOnline, the Manchester Evening News and the Eastern Daily Press.
From Max Verstappen defending his teammate Chris Lulham after their recent GT3 race in Portimao, to Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony praising the Dutchman, here are the Formula 1 news from 18 October.
Max Verstappen reacts to Chris Lulham abuse
Max Verstappen has defended team-mate Chris Lulham after the British driver was targeted with personal abuse following the GT World Challenge Europe finale in Portimao.
Lulham made contact with Luca Stolz's Mercedes while battling for fifth place. The Verstappen Racing car was blamed for the collision and handed a drive-through penalty, which Lulham served before handing the car to Verstappen.
The penalty cost Verstappen Racing any chance of a top-three finish, although Verstappen produced an exceptional comeback drive from 24th to 9th. However, the incident prompted criticism against Lulham online, including personal attacks.
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In a post on Instagram, Verstappen said: "Was very happy to be racing our GT3 car in Portimão. There were some ups and downs, but as a team we learnt a lot.
"I also feel I need to speak up about the hate and harassment Chris has received after the race. Everyone can have their opinions about what happened on track, but these personal attacks are not okay. Chris had a really strong stint and mistakes can happen. There’s no place for this kind of abuse in our sport or anywhere else."
Lewis Hamilton's father praises 'absolute gentleman' Verstappen
Lewis Hamilton's father Anthony, attended the GT World Challenge Europe event at Portimao, and had a complimentary message towards his son's old rival Verstappen, as well as MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi.
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He shared photos alongside Verstappen and MotoGP legend Valentino Rossi on Instagram, while describing the pair as 'absolute gentleman'.
He wrote: "Great to catch up with my friends Max and Valentino Rossi, talking all things motorsport, life and family.35 years in motorsport and my first ever GT World event. What a day! 61 cars on the grid.
"What a sight, what a sound. Huge thanks to Stéphane Ratel and the amazing SRO team. I rarely take photos, but yesterday I made an exception… three absolute gentlemen."
Hamilton Sr's message about Verstappen and Rossi was the first time he posted on the social media platform since June. The circumstances surrounding that finish remain among the most controversial in F1 history.
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