Max Verstappen is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver who competes in Formula One for Red Bull Racing.
He is the 2021, 2022, and 2023 Formula One World Champion.
Verstappen was born in Hasselt, Belgium in 1997 to former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen and Belgian kart racer Sophie Kumpen.
Despite being born in Belgium and having a Belgian mother, he chose to compete under the Dutch flag, as he felt more Dutch having spent more time with his father during his upbringing.
Verstappen made his Formula One debut in 2015 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest driver to compete in the sport.
He quickly established himself as one of the top drivers, winning his first race in 2016 at the Spanish Grand Prix.
Siblings
Verstappen has several siblings.
His younger sister, Victoria-Jane, born in 1999, owns a clothing brand named ‘Unleash the Lion’ and is a social media influencer
Verstappen also has half-siblings: Blue Jaye, born in 2014, and Jason Jaxx, born in 2019, from his father’s subsequent marriages.
Additionally, Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, had another daughter named Mila Faye in 2020 with his third wife, Sandy Sijtsma.
Karting career
Verstappen’s karting career was marked by remarkable success and achievements.
He began karting at the age of 4 and quickly rose through the ranks, winning multiple championships.
Notably, Verstappen secured victories in various international karting competitions, including the Dutch KF2 Championship in 2009, the Rotax Max Euro Challenge in 2011 and the WSK World Series KF3 and Euro titles in subsequent years.
His karting prowess and numerous wins laid a solid foundation for his transition into single-seater racing and ultimately Formula One.
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Formula One career
Verstappen’s Formula One career has been marked by rapid success and dominance.
He made his F1 debut in 2015 at the age of 17 with Toro Rosso, becoming the youngest driver to compete in the sport.
In his debut season, Verstappen scored 49 points with a best finish of 4th in Hungary, becoming the youngest driver to score points in F1.
In 2016, he moved to Red Bull Racing and won his first F1 race at the Spanish Grand Prix, becoming the youngest ever F1 race winner at 18 years and 228 days old.
He went on to secure 7 wins and 16 podiums that season.
Verstappen continued his rapid rise, winning the 2021 and 2022 F1 World Championships with Red Bull.
In 2022, he set a new record of 19 race wins in a single season.
Verstappen has won 58 races, secured 103 podiums and claimed 3 World Championship titles so far in his F1 career.
He is known for his aggressive, instinctive driving style and has sometimes courted controversy, but has also demonstrated impressive maturity and consistency.
Controversies
Verstappen has been involved in several controversies throughout his Formula 1 career.
Some notable incidents include the collision with Daniel Ricciardo in Hungary 2017, where Ricciardo called Verstappen a ‘sore loser’ and branded him as an ‘amateur’.
In Brazil 2018, Verstappen had a heated exchange and physical altercation with Esteban Ocon at the weighbridge after a race incident, resulting in a two-day public service order from the FIA.
Another incident occurred at Silverstone in 2021 when Verstappen collided with Lewis Hamilton, leading to a crash that sent Verstappen into the barriers.
Despite Hamilton receiving a penalty, he won the race, sparking criticism from Verstappen.
The Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in 2021 saw Verstappen’s first World Championship win in controversial fashion due to a late safety car decision that allowed him to overtake Hamilton on the last lap.
In Brazil 2022, Verstappen ignored team orders to give back a position to Sergio Perez, causing tension within the team.
Perez criticized Verstappen’s actions after the race, adding to the list of controversies that have surrounded Verstappen during his career in Formula 1.
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