When you hear about Max Verstappen’s latest victory in GT3 racing with Emil Frey Racing, the spotlight naturally shines brightest on the four-time F1 world champion. But we forget the man who hid in the shadows of Verstappen, and sometimes stole the show quietly, Chris Lulham, Verstappen’s talented teammate. So, who is this guy we forgot to celebrate? Let’s look at the story of Chris Lulham.
Who Is Chris Lulham?
Chris Lulham is a British racing and esports driver born on March 31, 2003, in Coldharbour, Surrey. Starting young, Chris began karting when he was just seven years old, showing early signs of his racing potential. Between 2010 and 2018, he competed in various karting series, including winning the prestigious 2016 IAME Euro Series in the Junior category and finishing runner-up in the 2017 Karting World Championship, which is no small feat. His karting journey was marked by talent, patience, and pure dedication.
From Sim-Racing To Nürburgring
But Chris isn’t your typical racing driver. Alongside his real-world racing career, he is a distinguished sim racer, a virtual racing ace. He began his professional sim racing career around 2019-2020 and quickly rose through the ranks. By 2021, he joined Team Redline, one of the top esports racing teams globally.
His sim racing résumé is impressive, boasting wins in the iRacing Nürburgring 24 Hours, 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual, and various other top virtual endurance races. These wins earned him respect not just as a gamer but as a serious driver with skills that can translate to real-world racing.
Chris’s progression from sim racing to real-world GT3 competition is seamless. In 2024, he dominated the Radical Cup UK, winning nearly every race in the season, showing his maturity and racecraft on the actual track. His big break came in 2025 when he was handpicked by Max Verstappen himself to join Verstappen.com Racing’s GT World Challenge Europe program.
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This is where the “shadow” part comes in; teammates don’t often get the same limelight as a global superstar like Max, but Chris has been quietly pushing himself, showing he belongs.
What Is Chris Lulham Doing Today?
In 2025, Chris Lulham competes in both the Sprint and Endurance Cups for the GT World Challenge Europe. He races a Ferrari 296 GT3 in the Sprint Cup with teammate Thierry Vermeulen and joins forces for endurance events with Harry King. His performance at the Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie also speaks volumes as part of Emil Frey Racing’s SP9 Pro class, where he recently helped secure a victory.
Chris Lulham is much more than just Max Verstappen’s teammate or the man “behind the shadow.” He’s an incredibly talented driver who has mastered the art of balancing virtual and real-world racing, proving his worth on the track. As he builds his resume with podiums and wins, expect the motorsport world to start paying more attention to this rising star. One day, the spotlight might just shift, and Chris Lulham will be the headline everyone’s talking about.
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Also read: Max Verstappen Wins NLS GT3 With Chris Lulham On Debut
