Max Verstappen facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Max Verstappen
Verstappen at the 2024 Dutch Grand Prix
Born	Max Emilian Verstappen (1997-09-30) 30 September 1997 (age 27) Hasselt, Flanders, Belgium
Partner(s)	Kelly Piquet (2020–present)
Parents	Jos Verstappen (father) Sophie Kumpen (mother)
Relatives	Robert Kumpen [nl] (grandfather) Paul Kumpen (great-uncle) Anthony Kumpen (first cousin once removed)
Awards	Full list

Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Dutch
Car number	33 1 (2022–present)
Entries	214 (214 starts)
Championships	4 (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)
Wins	64
Podiums	115
Career points	3110.5
Pole positions	42
Fastest laps	33
First entry	2015 Australian Grand Prix
First win	2016 Spanish Grand Prix
Last win	2024 Qatar Grand Prix
Last entry	2019 Monaco Grand Prix
2024 position	1st (437 pts)


Previous series
2014	FIA F3 European

Signature

Max Emilian Verstappen (born 30 September 1997) is a Dutch racing driver. He competes in Formula One for Red Bull Racing. Max has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles. He won them in a row from 2021 to 2024 with Red Bull. He has won 64 Grand Prix races over 10 seasons.

Max was born in Hasselt, Belgium, and grew up in Maaseik. His dad, Jos Verstappen, was also a Formula One driver. His mom, Sophie Kumpen, was a kart racer. Max had a very successful karting career. He broke many records in 2013. After karting, he moved straight into FIA European Formula 3. He finished third in the championship in his first year, 2014.

At just 17 years old, Max joined Toro Rosso in 2015. He was part of the Red Bull Junior Team. This made him the youngest driver ever in Formula One. He scored points in his first season. In 2016, he moved to the main team, Red Bull, after only four races. In his very first race for Red Bull, at 18 years old, Max won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix. He became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One Grand Prix.

Max won several races in 2017 and 2018. He then finished third in the World Drivers' Championships in both 2019 and 2020. In 2021, he won 10 Grand Prix races. He won his first championship by passing Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the last race. He became the first Dutch World Drivers' Champion. Max won the next two championships in 2022 and 2023. He broke many records in these seasons. He won his fourth championship in a row in 2024. He won nine races that year, including a great race in the rain in São Paulo.

As of the 2019 Monaco Grand Prix, Max has won 64 races. He has achieved 42 pole positions, 33 fastest laps, and 115 podium finishes in Formula One. He holds many Formula One records. These include the most wins in a season (19). He also has the most podium finishes in a season (21). He holds the record for the most consecutive wins (10). Max is signed with Red Bull until at least the end of the 2028 season. In 2024, Time magazine named him one of the 100 most influential people globally.

Early Life and Family

Max Emilian Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium. His parents are Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen. Max lived with his father after his parents separated. His family has a strong connection to motor sports. His father was a Formula One driver. His mother was a kart racer. His cousin, Anthony Kumpen, also raced cars. Max went to school in Maaseik. He sometimes left class early to go to races with his dad.

Junior Racing Career

Karting Success

Max started racing karts when he was four years old. He began competing in championships at age seven. In 2005, he won the Mini Junior championship in his home province of Limburg, Belgium. He won the VAS Championship in the same year. He won again in 2006. In 2007, he won the Rotax Max Challenge Belgium. He also won the Dutch Championship in the Mini Max class.

In 2008, Max won the Belgian Cadet Championship. He also won the Rotax Max Challenge Belgium and Benelux Karting Series. In 2009, he joined Pex Racing. He won the Mini Max championships again. He also won the Belgian KF5 Championship.

International Karting

In 2010, Max joined the CRG factory team. He started racing internationally. He finished second in the KF3 World Cup. He won the WSK Euro Series and the WSK World Series. In 2011, he won the WSK Euro Series.

In 2012, Max joined the Intrepid Driver Program. He won the WSK Master Series in the KF2 class. He also won the South Garda Winter Cup. He finished second at the World Cup in the KF2 class.

Record-Breaking 2013 Season

In 2013, Max had an amazing karting season. He moved up to the senior KF and KZ categories. At 15 years old, he won three CIK-FIA championships in one season. This was a first in karting history. He won two European Championships and a World Championship. By winning the 2013 KZ World Championship, he became the youngest driver to win the gearbox World Championship.

Lower Formulae Racing

Verstappen competed in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship in 2014, after joining the Red Bull Junior Team.

Max first drove a racing car on 11 October 2013. He tested a Formula Renault car. In December 2013, he tested a Formula 3 car. He was faster than more experienced drivers.

2014: Florida Winter Series and Formula Three

In January 2014, Max made his racing debut in the Florida Winter Series. He won a race at Palm Beach International Raceway. A few weeks later, he won another race at Homestead–Miami Speedway.

After this, Max raced in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship. He scored a record six wins in a row. He won ten races in total. He finished third in the overall championship.

Formula One Career

Toro Rosso (2014–2016)

In October 2014, Max drove in a Formula One practice session. He was preparing for a full-time seat at Toro Rosso in 2015. At 17 years and three days old, he was the youngest person ever to take part in a Formula One weekend.

Verstappen (pictured at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix) became the youngest driver in Formula One history at the Australian Grand Prix, aged 17.

Max became the youngest driver to start a World Championship race. He made his full debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix. He was 17 years and 166 days old. In his second race, the Malaysian Grand Prix, he finished seventh. This made him the youngest driver to score Formula One points.

At the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix, Max had a high-speed crash. He was given a penalty for causing the accident. Max kept finishing in the points. He achieved his best finish of fourth place in Hungary and United States. At the end of 2015, Max received three awards. These were "Rookie of the Year", "Personality of the Year", and "Action of the Year".

Verstappen at the 2016 Bahrain Grand Prix

Max started the 2016 season with Toro Rosso. He qualified fifth for the first race in Australia. He finished tenth. At the next race in Bahrain, he finished sixth. This was Toro Rosso's first points at that track.

Red Bull (2016–Present)

2016: Youngest Grand Prix Winner

Verstappen celebrating victory at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, in his first race for the Red Bull Racing team

On 5 May 2016, Red Bull Racing announced that Max would join their team. He would replace Daniil Kvyat from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards. Max qualified fourth for the Spanish Grand Prix. He took the lead and won his first Formula One race. He held off Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen. By winning, he became the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One Grand Prix. He was 18 years and 228 days old.

In his first eight races with Red Bull, he finished in the top five six times. He also got four podiums. At the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, Max started fourth. In a rainy race, he made many overtakes. He finished third. Many people praised his performance.

2017–2018: Growing Stronger

Verstappen at the 2017 British Grand Prix

In the first part of the 2017 season, Max had seven retirements. Four were due to car problems. Three were due to crashes on the first lap. But when he finished races, he often placed well. He got a third place in China.

From the Malaysian Grand Prix onwards, Max had more success. He won his second Formula One race in Malaysia. He passed Lewis Hamilton for the lead. He finished second in the next race in Japan. He then won his third Formula One race at the Mexican Grand Prix.

Verstappen at the 2018 Austrian Grand Prix

In the first six races of 2018, Max was involved in some incidents. He had a crash in qualifying in Bahrain. He also collided with his teammate Daniel Ricciardo in Azerbaijan. Both drivers were blamed. Max bounced back in Spain with his first podium of the season. He finished third.

In Monaco, Max crashed in practice. He had to start the race from the back. He finished ninth, gaining two points. Max then had a very strong second half of the season. He got podium finishes in Belgium, Singapore, Japan, and United States. He won his fifth career race in Mexico. He finished the season in fourth place with 249 points. He had two wins and eleven podiums.

2019–2020: Leading the Team

Verstappen at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he started on pole position for the first time in his career

In 2019, Red Bull started using Honda engines. Max's new teammate was Pierre Gasly. Max finished third in Australia. This was the first podium for a Honda-powered car since 2008. He had more strong finishes. In Austria, Max started third. He made his way to the front and passed Charles Leclerc to win. This was the first Honda-powered win since 2006.

The German Grand Prix was wet and chaotic. Max inherited the lead and won his second race of the season. In Hungary, he got his first pole position. He led most of the race but finished second.

Verstappen on the podium after winning the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix

Before the Belgian Grand Prix, Alexander Albon became Max's new teammate. Max had a poor start in Belgium and crashed. He had to retire. He finished the 2019 season in third place with 278 points. He had three wins, nine podiums, and two pole positions.

Verstappen at pre-season testing in 2020

Max continued with Red Bull in 2020. At the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix, he retired early due to a car problem. At the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix, he crashed before the race started. But his mechanics fixed the car quickly. He started seventh and finished second. Max won the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone.

He finished second at the Spanish Grand Prix. He got a third place at the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix. He had two retirements in Italy and Tuscany. At the Russian Grand Prix, he finished second. He finished the 2020 season in third place with 214 points. He had two wins and eleven podiums.

2021: World Champion!

Verstappen at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

At the Bahrain Grand Prix, Max got pole position. He fought Lewis Hamilton for the win but finished second. At the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix, Max passed both Sergio Pérez and Hamilton to take the lead and win. He finished second in Portugal and Spain.

At the Monaco Grand Prix, Max won the race. This put him in the lead of the Drivers' Championship for the first time. At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Max was leading but had a tire failure and crashed. He kept his championship lead because Hamilton also had a problem. Max took pole for the French Grand Prix. He won the race and got the fastest lap. He won again at the Styrian Grand Prix.

Max took pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix. He led every lap, set the fastest lap, and won the race. This was his first career grand slam. He became the first driver to win three races in three weekends. At the British Grand Prix, Max had a high-speed crash with Hamilton. He was taken to the hospital for checks. Hamilton won the race, reducing Max's lead. At the Hungarian Grand Prix, Max's car was damaged in a crash. He finished ninth. Hamilton took the championship lead.

Max qualified on pole at the Belgian Grand Prix. The race was very short due to rain. Max finished first, closing the gap to Hamilton. At the Dutch Grand Prix, Max won his home race. He took the lead in the championship. He finished second at the Russian Grand Prix and Turkish Grand Prix.

Verstappen battling with Lewis Hamilton for the lead at the 2021 United States Grand Prix

At the United States Grand Prix, Max took pole and won the race. He extended his championship lead. At the 2021 Mexico City Grand Prix, Max started third but took the lead at the start and won. He extended his lead to 19 points.

Max and Hamilton were tied on points for the final race. This was the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix Grand Prix. Max got pole position. He had a slow start and lost the lead to Hamilton. A safety car came out with five laps left. On the final lap, Max passed Hamilton to win the race. He became the first Dutch Formula One World Champion.

2022: Second Title

Verstappen at the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix, where he won his second World Drivers' Championship

In March 2022, Max signed a new contract with Red Bull until 2028. He started using the number 1 on his car as the reigning world champion.

Max retired from the first race in Bahrain due to a fuel problem. He won the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. He had another retirement in Australia. This left him 46 points behind Charles Leclerc. Max then won the next three races. He won the sprint and the main race in Emilia Romagna. He won from third place in Miami. He won in Spain after Leclerc retired. Max took the lead in the championship.

He won again in Azerbaijan and Canada. At the British Grand Prix, he finished seventh due to car damage. He won the sprint in Austria but finished second in the race.

After this, Max won five races in a row. He won in France after Leclerc crashed. He started tenth in Hungary but won the race. He started 14th in Belgium due to a penalty but won by lap 12. He won his home race in the Netherlands. He then won from seventh place in Italy.

Max's winning streak ended in Singapore. He started eighth and finished seventh. He won from pole position at the Japanese Grand Prix. This gave him his second World Drivers' Championship. He won the next two races in the United States and Mexico City. He finished sixth in São Paulo after a collision. He won the final race in Abu Dhabi.

His 15 wins in 2022 broke the record for most wins in a season. He won the championship with 454 points, also a new record.

2023: Third Record-Breaking Title

Verstappen leading the race at the 2023 Austrian Grand Prix

Max continued with Red Bull and Sergio Pérez in 2023. He started the season with a win from pole in Bahrain. He finished second in Saudi Arabia and Azerbaijan. He won from pole in Australia.

Then, Max started a record-breaking winning streak. He started ninth in Miami but won the race. He won the next four races from pole position: Monaco, Spain, Canada, and Austria. Red Bull got their 100th victory in Canada. He won from pole in Britain. He won in Hungary after passing Lewis Hamilton at the start. He won the sprint and the race in Belgium.

He won his home race in the Netherlands in the rain. He also won in Italy. This victory was his tenth win in a row, breaking Sebastian Vettel's record of nine. It was also Red Bull's fifteenth win in a row.

Max's winning streak ended in Singapore. He finished fifth. But he went on to win the remaining seven races of the season. His win in Japan gave Red Bull their sixth Constructors' Championship. He won his third World Drivers' Championship in the Qatar sprint race. He then won the main race from pole. He won the United States Grand Prix despite starting sixth. He won in Mexico City after passing both Ferraris. He won from pole in São Paulo. He won in Las Vegas despite a penalty.

His pole and victory in Abu Dhabi was his nineteenth win of the year. This broke his own record from 2022. He scored 575 points, more than double the second-placed driver. This was also a new points record.

2024: Fourth Title Amid Challenges

Verstappen (pictured during the Austrian Grand Prix) won seven of the opening 10 rounds in 2024.

Max started the 2024 season with a grand slam in Bahrain. He then won from pole in Saudi Arabia. This was his 100th Formula One podium. He retired from the Australian Grand Prix due to a brake fire. This ended his nine-race winning streak. He then won from pole in Japan. He won the sprint and the race in China. He won another sprint in Miami but finished second in the race. He matched Ayrton Senna's record of eight consecutive poles in Emilia Romagna and won the race. His pole streak ended in Monaco, where he finished sixth.

Max and George Russell had the same qualifying time in Canada. Max started second but won his 60th race. He won in Spain after passing Lando Norris and Russell. He won the sprint in Austria. In the main race, he collided with Norris and finished fifth. He finished second in Britain. He finished fifth in Hungary after a collision with Hamilton. He criticized his team's strategy. He finished fourth in Belgium after starting outside the top ten.

Verstappen led 17 laps and finished second to rival Norris at the Dutch Grand Prix.

At his home race, the Dutch Grand Prix, Max finished second to Norris. He finished outside the top four in Italy and Azerbaijan. Red Bull lost the lead in the Constructors' Championship. He finished second to Norris in Singapore. He won the sprint in the United States and finished third in the race. He finished sixth in Mexico City after penalties.

Max finished fourth in the São Paulo sprint. He started 17th in the main race due to a penalty. He gained many positions and won the race by 19 seconds in the rain. People praised his driving in the rain. By finishing ahead of Norris in Las Vegas, Max won his fourth world title with two races left. He won eight Grand Prix races in total.

Driver Profile

Qualifying Speed

Verstappen on a qualifying lap at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix

After Max's first pole position in 2019, former World Champion Nico Rosberg called him the fastest driver in Formula One. He said Max's pure speed got him pole. Former World Champion Jenson Button believes Max is the fastest F1 driver ever. Helmut Marko, a Red Bull advisor, said Max is the fastest driver Red Bull has ever had.

In 2021, three-time World Champion Jackie Stewart also said Max is the fastest. Peter Windsor, a Formula One journalist, noted Max's ability to change direction very quickly. After winning his fourth title in 2024, James Elson of Motor Sport said Max proved he is F1's best driver.

Dominance Over Teammates

Verstappen (right) was teammates with Daniel Ricciardo (left) from 2016 to 2018, pictured at the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix.

Former Formula One driver Eddie Irvine praised Max. He said Max is the most dominant team leader on the grid. Irvine pointed out that Max's teammates have not been able to get close to him. Jenson Button said he hasn't seen a driver dominate their teammates like Max in a long time.

Journalist Scott Mitchell explained that Max drives by instinct. This comes from years of training. He has a "database in his head" that he uses instantly. This makes it hard for other drivers to match him.

Verstappen (right) has been teammates with Sergio Pérez (left) since 2021, pictured at the 2024 Chinese Grand Prix.

Helmut Marko said Max has improved a lot compared to his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Marko noted that Max is faster in qualifying and races. Max himself said he was three or four tenths faster than Ricciardo on average.

Natural Talent

Verstappen's four championship-winning cars from top-to-bottom: RB16B (2021), RB18 (2022), RB19 (2023) and RB20 (2024)

After his first F1 win, three-time World Champion Niki Lauda called Max the "talent of the century." Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said Max is the best driver they have ever seen. He praised Max's raw ability and commitment.

Former F1 driver Gerhard Berger also said Max has the most raw talent. He added that it's not just about speed, but about winning races and championships. Two-time World Champion Fernando Alonso said Max is "one step ahead" of everyone. He said Max deserved to win the 2021 championship. Former F1 driver Karun Chandhok compared Max's competitive style to Michael Schumacher's.

Racecraft

Verstappen (middle) on the podium with Lewis Hamilton (left) and Daniel Ricciardo (right) after winning the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix

Max has received praise for his driving. But he has also faced criticism for his aggressive style. After the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, former F1 driver Martin Brundle noted that Max's car control and cleverness sometimes make it hard to tell if his moves are just hard racing or breaking the rules. He compared this to Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher.

After a strong first half of the 2022 season, journalist David Tremayne said Max had reached a new level. He suggested Max's first title made him more relaxed.

Fan Support

The Verstappen grandstand at the 2021 Austrian Grand Prix

Max has a large fanbase around the world, especially in the Netherlands. His fans are often called the Orange Army because orange is the national color of the Netherlands.

Many races in Europe have special grandstands for Dutch fans. These help boost ticket sales at races in Belgium, Austria, and Hungary. A special Max Verstappen grandstand was also at the Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.

In October 2021, Max was voted the most popular Formula One driver in a worldwide survey. The fan-made song "Super Max!" became very popular after his 2021 championship win. Another fan song, "33 Max Verstappen," also went viral.

Other Racing

Sportscar Racing

The Acura ARX-06 (pictured in 2023) tested by Verstappen with Honda Racing Corporation in November 2024.

Max has tested other types of race cars. In 2022, he drove a GT500 class car in Japan. In January 2024, he drove a Ferrari 296 GT3 car. The team principal said Max was driving at a "different level" than others.

In November 2024, Max drove a prototype car for the first time. He tested the Acura ARX-06. Max said he wants to race in the 24 Hours of Daytona and Le Mans in the future.

Sim Racing

In his free time, Max enjoys sim racing. He says it helps him with his real-life racing. Since 2015, Max has been part of Team Redline, a professional sim racing team.

iRacing Special Events

Verstappen (pictured driving the Mercedes-AMG GT3) won the 2024 iRacing Daytona 24 Special Event in the GTD class.

Max has competed in several big events on iRacing. In 2019, he won the Spa 24 Special Event with Lando Norris. He also won the Petit Le Mans Special Event in 2020. In 2024, he won the Daytona 24 Special Event. In May, he won the Nürburgring 24 Special Event on the same weekend as an F1 race. He won both events. He also won his second Spa 24 Special Event in July 2024.

Le Mans Virtual

Max competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual on rFactor 2 in 2020, 2022, and 2023. He called the 2023 race a "clown show" after a technical problem made him retire while leading.

Personal Life

Max has dual Dutch and Belgian citizenship. He chose to race under the Dutch flag. He said in 2014 that he "feels more Dutch." He spent more time with his father growing up. He also grew up in Maaseik, a Belgian town near the Dutch border.

Max got his road driving license on his 18th birthday. The next day, he moved to Monaco. He has lived there since. He said it was not for tax reasons. In 2020, Max bought a private jet.

Max supports FC Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven football teams. He speaks three languages: Dutch, English, and German. He learned German while karting with Michael Schumacher. In September 2022, he was made an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau. This was to recognize his racing achievements.

Max has been dating Kelly Piquet since October 2020. In December 2024, they announced they are expecting their first child.