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5 things you need to know about Max Verstappen
Max Verstappen is the 2024 Formula One World Champion. Get to know the flying Dutchman here with five key facts about the all-conquering F1 legend.
In November 2024, under the bright lights of Las Vegas, Max Verstappen secured his fourth consecutive Formula One World Championship, further cementing his legacy as one of the greatest drivers in the sport. His record-breaking career, relentless drive and unmistakable flair have made him a global sensation. Want to know what makes this Dutch powerhouse tick? Here are five fun and fascinating facts about the reigning F1 champion!
01
He’s rewriting the F1 record book
Signed to Red Bull Junior Team in August 2014, Max made his F1 debut with Toro Rosso – now AlphaTauri – in Free Practice at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, aged 17 and three days, becoming the youngest driver to take part in an F1 race weekend. He made his race debut as the youngest driver of all time at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, aged 17 and 166 days and, two weeks later, became the youngest driver ever to score world championship points (17 and 180 days) when he finished seventh at the Malaysian Grand Prix.
One year on, he scored his first victory in F1 on his debut for Red Bull Racing at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, standing on the top step aged 18 and 228 days – that made him the youngest race winner in F1 and simultaneously the youngest driver to stand on the podium. On the way, he became the youngest driver to lead an F1 race. At the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, he became the youngest driver to set a fastest lap (19 and 44 days). Fast forward to 2021 and the Austrian Grand Prix where Max became the youngest driver to set a Grand Chelem (23 and 277 days) taking pole, fastest lap and victory while leading every lap of the race at the Red Bull Ring.
Max Verstappen's mighty race winning RB19
© Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
Max celebrates in parc fermé after winning the Belgian Grand Prix
© Dan Mullan/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
02
He's on a winning streak
In his debut season in the F3 European Championship in 2014, Max won seven races with Van Amersfoort Racing and was quickly signed to a contract by Helmut Marko for the Red Bull Junior Team. Almost a decade later he went on another outstanding run of victories, beating Sebastian Vettel’s record of nine consecutive wins in the World Championship when he won his 10th at Monza in 2023. He even tied the record in style in the previous race, claiming a dominant win in the wet at his home race at Circuit Zandvoort, much to the delight of the Dutch fans in attendance.
Jos Verstappen has mentored his son Max since he was four years old
© Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
03
He grew up in the paddock
Max Verstappen's dad was the most successful Dutch driver in F1… although not anymore, because it’s now Max. Max’s father is Jos 'The Boss' Verstappen, who was team-mates with Michael Schumacher at Benetton and raced in Formula One for eight years, scoring two podiums – although he’s best known for his miraculous escape from a pit fire at Hockenheim in 1994. In fact, Max’s mother Sophie Kumpen was also a successful racing driver who raced in the lower leagues against Jenson Button, Giancarlo Fisichella and even a young Christian Horner.
Jos Verstappen's miraculous escape at Hockenheim
© DPPI
Even while in F1, Jos devoted his free time to teaching Max to race, nurturing his talent from age four by acting as his mentor, manager and chief mechanic. He teamed up with Richard Pex, bought a camper van, and hit the road with Max, Richard and his three sons Yard, Jorrit and Stan, to race in the karting hotbed of Italy. “We went everywhere together,” says Jos. “And we became increasingly professional. We tuned up the engines to establish a test bench and then we’d drive constantly back and forth to Italy, the Mecca of karting, to buy equipment.” The Pex boys are still Max’s best friends to this day.
04
He’s a star in virtual racing, too
Away from the F1 cockpit and the sim at Red Bull Racing HQ in Milton Keynes, Max enjoys gaming and competing in esport races racing the official Formula 1 game as well as in the racing simulation iRacing. Partnering with the first ever iRacing World Champions, Team Redline, he won the Virtual Le Mans Series in 2019 including a win at the Virtual 24 Hours of Spa with Lando Norris sharing the driving duties.
“It’s definitely a good time for gaming," says Verstappen
© Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool
05
He has two nationalities – and multiple homes
Although Max Verstappen competes under a Dutch licence, Verstappen was born on September 30, 1997, in Hasselt, Belgium, and has dual Dutch and Belgian nationalities. So both the Dutch and Belgian Grands Prix are home races for the World Champion. He lives in Monaco and spent a lot of his childhood in the Principality, making Monaco his home-from-home Grand Prix.
Max plays to the crowd at the Austrian Grand Prix in 2021
© Philip Platzer/Red Bull Content Pool
Red Bull Racing compete under the Austrian flag, which means the Red Bull Ring is also familiar turf to the former Red Bull Junior Team graduate. Additionally, Red Bull Racing is based in Milton Keynes in the UK, making the British Grand Prix an unofficial home race for the team.
Max Verstappen's trademark orange cap
© Mark Thompson/Getty Images/Red Bull Content Pool
06
Bonus fact:
His favourite food is tomato soup.
