Max Verstappen is a Dutch and Belgian driver who competes under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. He is one of the most dominant drivers of his generation, a three-time Drivers’ Champion, winning consecutive titles from 2021 to 2023 with Red Bull. Known for his aggressive driving style Verstappen’s racing pedigree runs deep, as he is the son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen and former kart racer Sophie Kumpen.
| Nationality | Dutch |
|---|---|
| Born | Max Emilian Verstappen 30 September 1997 Hasselt, Belgium |
From a young age, Verstappen broke numerous records in karting and single-seater categories, including KF3, KF2, KF1, KZ2, KZ1, and FIA European Formula 3.
At just 17, he became the youngest driver in F1 history at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, having joined Toro Rosso. Despite his inexperience, Verstappen impressed with several standout results, particularly his fourth-place finish at the 2015 Hungarian Grand Prix. His aggressive overtakes earned him a reputation as one of the sport’s rising stars and after only four races with Toro Rosso, Red Bull Racing promoted him to the main team, replacing Daniil Kvyat. In his first race with Red Bull at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen made history by becoming the youngest-ever Formula One race winner at 18 years and 228 days old. This victory, combined with consistent strong finishes throughout the season, secured him fifth place in the 2016 Drivers’ Championship.
In 2017, Verstappen continued with Red Bull, although reliability issues with the car limited his results early in the season. Despite those early setbacks, he secured two wins—at the 2017 Malaysian and Mexican Grand Prix—and regularly battled at the front of the field. Verstappen finished the season sixth in the 2017 Drivers’ Championship, showing flashes of brilliance of what was to come.
After a difficult start to the 2018 season, including some high-profile crashes, Verstappen rebounded in the latter half of the year with victories in Austria and Mexico. His performances in the second half of the season, with several podium finishes, pushed him to fourth in the 2018 Drivers’ Championship by the end of the year.
Verstappen continued his upward trajectory in 2019, winning three races (Austria, Germany, and Brazil) along with multiple podiums throughout the season. He also secured his first career pole position at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix and finishing third in the Drivers’ Championship.
In 2020, Verstappen was Red Bull’s clear lead driver, consistently challenging the dominant Mercedes cars. He secured two race wins—at the 2020 70th Anniversary Grand Prix and the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix—and finished on the podium 11 times. Verstappen ended the season third in the Drivers’ Championship and one of the few drivers to challenge Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes consistently.
The 2021 season was Verstappen’s breakthrough year. In a dramatic and intense title fight with Lewis Hamilton, Verstappen won 10 races. The season came down to a controversial final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Verstappen overtook Hamilton to win the race and his first World Drivers’ Championship. The victory made him the first Dutch driver to win a world title.
In 2022, Verstappen dominated the championship, winning 15 races, setting a new record for the most wins in a single season. His consistency throughout the year left little room for any challengers to the championship, securing the title at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix with four races remaining. Verstappen finished the season with 454 points, the highest tally in a single season.
The 2023 season saw Verstappen continue his dominance, winning 19 races and 21 podium finishes. He clinched his third consecutive World Drivers’ Championship at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix, cementing his status as one of the all-time greats in Formula One history. His season was highlighted by a record-breaking 10 consecutive wins, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s previous record.
As of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix, Max Verstappen remained the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix, and held several records, including the most wins in a single season (19), the most podium finishes in a season (21), the most consecutive race wins (10), and the joint record for most consecutive pole positions (8, shared with Ayrton Senna).
Come Vegas, Max Verstappen finished the race in fifth place, behind the Ferraris of Carlos Sainz and Charles Leclerc, comfortably sealing his fourth consecutive Drivers’ Championship. His closest rival, McLaren’s Lando Norris, managed only sixth, leaving a 63-point gap to Verstappen with just 60 points remaining in the season. The title elevated Verstappen into elite company as a four-time champion, joining legends Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel. Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Juan Manuel Fangio stood ahead of him in the all-time rankings.
Verstappen is contracted to remain with Red Bull Racing until at least the end of the 2028 season.
