Max Verstappen

Max Emilian Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium, and was raised in Maaseik. His father, Jos Verstappen, was a Dutch Formula One driver, while his mother, Sophie Kumpen, was a Belgian kart racer. Verstappen's family background gave him an early connection to competitive motorsport.

Verstappen began racing karts at four and entered championships at seven. He sometimes left school early to travel to races across Europe with his father, later moving from conventional schooling to private tutoring as his racing commitments increased. He competes with a Dutch racing licence and has described himself as feeling more Dutch, while also acknowledging his Belgian upbringing.

Verstappen won numerous Belgian and Dutch karting championships before moving into international competition with CRG. In 2010, he won the WSK World Series and Nations Cup in the KF3 class, and in 2011 he won the WSK Euro Series ahead of Esteban Ocon. His 2013 karting campaign became a landmark season when he won two CIK-FIA European Championships and the KZ World Championship at 15.

He entered single-seater racing in the 2014 Florida Winter Series, winning races at Palm Beach and Homestead-Miami. In the FIA Formula 3 European Championship with Van Amersfoort Racing, he recorded ten victories, including six consecutive wins at Spa-Francorchamps and the Norisring, and finished third overall. He also won the 2014 Zandvoort Masters.

Verstappen joined the Red Bull Junior Team in 2014. During practice for the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, aged 17 years and three days, he became the youngest person to participate in a Formula One race weekend.

Verstappen made his full-time Formula One debut with Toro Rosso at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix alongside Carlos Sainz. At 17 years and 166 days, he became the youngest driver to start a World Championship race, and he scored his first points at the following Malaysian Grand Prix. He remained with Toro Rosso for the opening four races of 2016 before Red Bull promoted him to replace Daniil Kvyat.

His first race for Red Bull was the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, where he won at 18 years and 228 days. The victory made him the youngest Formula One Grand Prix winner and the first Dutch driver to win a Formula One race. Daniel Ricciardo was his Red Bull teammate during his early seasons with the senior team, and Verstappen added further victories in Malaysia and Mexico in 2017 and Austria and Mexico in 2018.

After Honda became Red Bull's engine partner in 2019, Verstappen won three races and finished third in the championship. He again finished third in 2020, winning the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone. His first title came in 2021 after he defeated Lewis Hamilton in a season-long battle that was decided by a final-lap pass at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.

Verstappen won the championships in 2022 and 2023 before securing a fourth consecutive title in 2024. His 2023 season included 19 victories, a Formula One record, and ten consecutive wins. In 2024, he also produced a celebrated wet-weather victory in São Paulo after starting 17th. He finished runner-up to Lando Norris in 2025, two points behind the champion, while winning eight Grands Prix.

Verstappen's early career established several age-related Formula One records. He became the youngest driver to start a Grand Prix in Australia in 2015, the youngest driver to score World Championship points in Malaysia later that year, and the youngest race leader, podium finisher and Grand Prix winner at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

His later achievements extended beyond age records. He set the marks for most wins in a season with 19 in 2023, most podium finishes in a season with 21 in 2023, and most consecutive victories with ten in 2023. He also matched Ayrton Senna's record of eight consecutive pole positions in 2024.

Verstappen's 2022 championship campaign produced 454 points, surpassing Lewis Hamilton's previous single-season points record of 413. His 2023 total of 575 points then set a new record, and Red Bull's 15 consecutive victories that year surpassed McLaren's previous team record from 1988.

Verstappen is widely associated with high qualifying speed, strong car control and an uncompromising approach to wheel-to-wheel racing. Former champions and drivers including Nico Rosberg, Jenson Button, Jackie Stewart, Fernando Alonso and Niki Lauda have praised aspects of his pace, raw ability or racecraft. His performances in changing conditions, particularly at the 2016 Brazilian and 2024 São Paulo Grands Prix, have been central to his reputation.

His driving style has also attracted criticism. Incidents involving Lewis Hamilton, Charles Leclerc, Lando Norris and other competitors have led to penalties and debate over the limits of defensive driving. The 2021 title battle with Hamilton included several major on-track clashes, while Verstappen's battles with Leclerc have been characterised by both drivers as more familiar and respectful.

Outside Formula One, Verstappen competes in sim racing and has participated in sports car events. He joined the professional sim racing team Team Redline in 2015 and won major iRacing events including the Petit Le Mans Special Event and the Daytona 24 Special Event. He also won the Spa 24 Special Event alongside Lando Norris in 2019 and again in 2024.

Verstappen founded Verstappen.com Racing in 2022 to support Jos Verstappen in rallying and Thierry Vermeulen in GT racing. The project later expanded into GT World Challenge Europe and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters. In 2025, Verstappen made his competitive GT3 debut at the Nürburgring Nordschleife with Emil Frey Racing and won alongside Chris Lulham.

His sim racing and sports car activities have included named associations with Team Redline, Emil Frey Racing, Honda Racing Corporation and Verstappen Racing. The Verstappen Racing project also began developing drivers from virtual racing into real-world competition.

Verstappen moved to Monaco in 2015 and speaks Dutch, English and German, with limited proficiency in French. He supports FC Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven. In 2022, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his racing achievements.

Verstappen has been in a relationship with Brazilian-Dutch model Kelly Piquet since 2020, and they welcomed a daughter in April 2025. Piquet is the daughter of three-time Formula One World Champion Nelson Piquet.

Verstappen's awards include four Formula One World Drivers' Championships, won from 2021 through 2024. He received the FIA Rookie of the Year award in 2015, the FIA Personality of the Year award in 2015, 2016 and 2017, and the Lorenzo Bandini Trophy in 2016.

He was named Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2022 and Dutch Sportsman of the Year in 2016, 2021 and 2022. He was included in the 2024 TIME100 and won the Autosport International Racing Driver Award in five successive years from 2021 through 2025. He has also received three Best Driver ESPY Awards, in 2023, 2024 and 2025.