Max Verstappen Height, Age, Girlfriend, Wife, Family, Biography

Some Lesser Known Facts About Max Verstappen

• Who is Max Verstappen?

  Max Verstappen is a Dutch and Belgian racing sensation, regarded as one of the most fearless and skillful Formula 1 drivers of his generation. Racing under the Dutch flag for Red Bull Racing, he won back-to-back Formula One World Championships in 2021 and 2022.

• A Dutch or a Belgian?

  Even after having a Belgian mother, being born and residing in Bree, Belgium, Verstappen opted for a Dutch racing license as he identifies more with his Dutch heritage. He decided so after spending significant time with his father during karting practices while growing up in Maaseik, a Belgian town near the Dutch border, where he was regularly surrounded by Dutch people. In 2015, while talking about this, Verstappen said,

  I actually only lived in Belgium to sleep, but during the day I went to the Netherlands and had my friends there too. I was raised as a Dutch person and that’s how I feel.”

  

  Max Verstappen (right) in the primary school in Maaseik

  In 2022, Verstappen, however, expressed that he values both aspects of his heritage and considers himself “equally connected” to both Dutch and Belgian roots.

• Raised in a family with a racing background

  Max was raised in a family deeply passionate about racing. His father, Jos Verstappen, was a Formula 1 driver, and this familial influence played a significant role in shaping Max’s destiny. His mother, Sophie Kumpen, is also a popular Karting champion who is not only a two-time Belgian karting champion but has also driven against renowned F1 personalities like Jan Magnussen, Jarno Trulli, Giancarlo Fisichella, Dario Franchitti, and even Christian Horner. At just four years old, he took his first steps into the racing world by starting karting, a sport that laid the foundation of his racing career.

  

  Young Max posing in his kart together with his grandfather, Frans Verstappen, father, Jos Verstappen, and Jos’s half-brother (and Max’s uncle) Danillo Verstappen

• Father-cum-mentor

  Under the guidance of his father and with the support of his family, Max practiced several hours to sharpen his skills on the karting circuits. Under his father’s mentorship, Max had access to valuable contacts, resources, and insider knowledge of the racing industry, which played a crucial role in his career. Jos was reportedly strict with Max, sometimes very strict. ^[22]Time News Max once talked about his father’s strictness and said,

  I never had any surprises in F1 because no one was as hard on me as my Dad.”

  

  Young Max posing in his kart while his father, Jos Verstappen, guiding him from the back

• First Race and Karting Days

  At the age of four and a half, Max Verstappen began his karting journey. ^[23]Red Bull Racing By the time he was 6, he participated in his first race in 2003, frequently competing at the prestigious Genk circuit in Belgium, famous for hosting significant international events. In 2005, at just 8 years old, Max entered his first karting championship and achieved an extraordinary feat by securing victories in all 21 races of the Belgium Championship Mini (VAS) that season. In 2010, he entered international karting when CRG signed him to race in their factory team at the World and European championships. Max won 23 karting championships between 2005 and 2013.

  

  On 22 September 2013, 2013 Max Verstappen won the Karting World Championship – only three years after competing internationally in karts for the first time in 2010

  His karting championship wins include 5 x Rotax Max, 2 x Belgian Championship, WSK KF3 Nations Cup, World Series and Euro Series in 2010, CIK-FIA World and European KZ Championship in 2013, and CIK-FIA European Championship KF in 2013. With his excellent performance, he earned a spot in the prestigious Red Bull Junior Team in late 2014, paving the way for his Formula 1 debut.

• Formula 4

  Max Verstappen opted not to compete in Formula 4 and instead pursued his racing career in Formula Renault, which holds a similar status to F4. Following his karting days, Max participated in the 2014 Florida Winter Series, where he won against more experienced drivers in the category.

• Formula 3

  He began racing single-seaters in 2014 in Formula Three. ^[24]Red Bull Racing Competing for Van Amersfoort Racing in the European Formula 3 Championship, Max Verstappen made history at the young age of 16. He had six consecutive wins and a total of 10 victories in the season, a record-breaking performance. Despite facing eight retirements and one DNS (Did Not Start), Max had a notable third-place finish overall.

• Formula 2

  Due to his association with the Red Bull Junior Program and his outstanding performance in Formula 3, he was given the opportunity to join Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri) in Formula 1 for the 2015 season; he skipped Formula 2. Back then, there were no Super License points requirements, allowing Max to bypass Formula 2 and make a direct leap to F1. Despite facing reliability issues during that season, Max had ten race victories. Red Bull’s Helmut Marko, while talking about Max Verstappen in 2014, said,

  The moment I thought [he was] something really special was at the Norisring. In mixed conditions – it was more wet than dry – he was per lap two seconds and more faster than anyone else.”

  

  Max Verstappen with his Red Bull mentor Helmut Marko

• Formula 1

  At the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Max Verstappen made history by driving a Formula 1 car in an official session, becoming the youngest driver ever, at just 17 years and three days old, to take part in a Formula 1 race weekend. In the next year, he officially debuted in Formula 1 at the Australian Grand Prix. Max Verstappen entered Formula 1 at the age of 17 for the Red Bull Junior Team, and he did so due to the absence of a Super License points system, which once limited young drivers from joining the sport. However, according to current regulations, drivers must be at least 18 years old to participate in Formula 1.

• Entered F1 without a driving license

  When Max Verstappen entered Formula One, he didn’t have a valid driving license as upon his entry into Formula 1 in 2015, Max Verstappen was a mere 17 years old, making him ineligible to complete his driver’s test and get a road car license. ^[25]The Guardian

• Groomed by Red Bull mentors

  When Red Bull signed Verstappen, Helmut Marko took on the responsibility of monitoring his development and offering guidance. Christian Horner, who had ample experience with young drivers, also played a significant role in providing advice and support.

  

  Max Verstappen with his Red Bull mentor Christian Horner

• First F1 Team – First win

  Max Verstappen initially joined Toro Rosso (now AlphaTauri), which is recognized as the Red Bull junior team in Formula 1.

  

  Max Verstappen’s first F1 team was Toro Rosso

  After spending slightly more than a single season with Toro Rosso, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing during the 2016 season. Verstappen joined Red Bull Racing in the 5th round of the 2016 season of the Spanish Grand Prix and made history by winning his first-ever Formula 1 championship. While talking about his first win, Max says,

  It was a very special, a simply lovely day. I was out there to enjoy myself because it was my first race with Red Bull, so there wasn’t much pressure from the Team. They just said: “Try and score some points,” and we did, we scored 25 points. Hahaha, that’s always good, I guess and it was amazing to see the reaction from everyone in the Team as nobody, including me expected it.” ^[26]Red Bull Racing

• Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc – Rivals since the beginning

  Max Verstappen and Charles Leclerc both debuted in karting at approximately the same time. On a few occasions, the two drivers faced each other during races including a particular incident where they forced each other off the track.

• Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz: Teammates

  Throughout his entire tenure with Toro Rosso, Max Verstappen and Carlos Sainz were teammates, from the beginning of the 2015 season until the Spanish GP in 2016. However, Verstappen was promoted to Red Bull in May 2016, ending his partnership with Sainz. In the 2015 standings, Verstappen defeated Sainz, getting 49 points compared to Sainz’s 18 points. After moving to Red Bull during the 2016 season, Verstappen finished just 52 points behind his new teammate, Daniel Ricciardo.

• Verstappen is not a “Pay Driver!”

  Although Verstappen got sponsorships for the team, he entered Formula 1 by being a part of the Red Bull Junior Academy. Red Bull’s current approach does not involve accepting pay drivers, and they select their drivers solely based on their performance and abilities. ^[27]Planet F1

• Fastest Formula One driver

  From karting to Formula 3, Verstappen has consistently shown impressive speed, winning numerous competitions and establishing himself as one of the fastest drivers globally.

• Max Verstappen and Grand Slam

  Max Verstappen achieved three Grand Slams during his career, the first one in Austria in 2021, the second one at the 2022 Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, and in June 2023, he won his third grand slam win (from pole, leading every lap and taking fastest lap) in Spain. ^[28]Formula 1

• Verstappen has never been lapped

  Throughout Max Verstappen’s racing career, he has never been lapped in any race that he has finished; lapped cars in F1 are at least one full lap behind the leader of the race.

• Beaten by a teammate

  Max Verstappen has been defeated by a teammate twice during a complete season, with both instances involving Daniel Ricciardo. In 2016, Verstappen fell behind by 52 points, and in 2017, he trailed by 32 points. Since those seasons, Verstappen has not been defeated by any teammate. When the first time Ricciardo defeated him, Verstappen participated in the first 4 races of the season with Toro Rosso.

• Verstappen and his engine

  He uses a Red Bull Powertrains engine, manufactured at the Red Bull F1 facility in Milton Keynes. This engine was developed with the guidance of Honda, the same manufacturer that produced the title-winning engine for Verstappen and Red Bull in 2021. However, starting in 2026, considering Max remains with Red Bull until then, he will be equipped with an engine resulting from a collaboration between Red Bull and Ford. This partnership marks Ford’s return to Formula 1 after their previous involvement from 1963 to 2004 during which they supplied engines to numerous teams and enjoyed considerable success.

• Highest paid driver

  Max Verstappen receives an annual salary of approximately $50-55 million from the Red Bull F1 team, making him the highest-earning driver on the entire grid. ^[29]Forbes

• World Champion

  Max Verstappen is a two-time World Champion; he won in 2021, and 2022. In the thrilling 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen won the World Championship by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap, with just an eight-point margin between them for a first and second-place finish.

  

  In 2022, he won the title again, this time with a lead of 146 points over Charles Leclerc; his total of 454 set a record for a season. Verstappen also had 15 Grand Prix victories in a single season, breaking the previous record of 13 held by Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher. This made him the second-youngest driver to win two championships. On this achievement, Verstappen said,

  This season was just great. We had a rough start, but after that we did very little wrong, and even though you cannot be perfect, we will always strive to achieve that.”

  According to Verstappen, his initial championship victory was “honestly the more emotional one,” whereas the second title was “definitely the most satisfying.” ^[30]The New York Times

• Youngest World Champion?

  While Max Verstappen holds numerous records associated with his age, he did not become the youngest F1 World Champion. That title remains with Sebastian Vettel, who won the championship at the age of 23 years and 124 days. Verstappen, on the other hand, won the title at the age of 24 years and 73 days. ^[31]Formula 1

• A “dirty driver!”

  In the early stages of his Formula 1 career, Max Verstappen was often called a “dirty driver” due to his involvement in accidents with other drivers. While Max has been part of several high-profile incidents, particularly during the intense title battle with Lewis Hamilton in 2021, he has matured significantly throughout his tenure in F1. ^[32]Planet F1
  

• Driving Style

  Max Verstappen has an aggressive driving style, often drawing comparisons to the legendary Ayrton Senna. Reportedly, he has had to make certain adjustments to his driving approach over the years, especially in 2022 when the new aerodynamic regulations significantly impacted the cars’ handling. Verstappen’s preference for car setup revolves around a strong front end, providing a strong grip at the front while keeping the rear a bit loose. Red Bull has incorporated this design philosophy in recent years, allowing Max to fully exploit the car’s potential on the track.

• Crashes and retirements

  Throughout his Formula 1 career, Max Verstappen has been involved in a total of 13 crashes during races. Verstappen has retired from 31 races over the course of his career. However, not all of these retirements resulted from collisions, as various other factors can also lead to race retirements.

• G Force Impact

  During the controversial opening lap of the 2021 British Grand Prix at Silverstone, Max Verstappen had a high-impact crash measuring 51G. The collision triggered Verstappen’s G Force warning sensor, which made him undergo a mandatory medical examination, and he came out from the incident without any injuries. G-force in F1 is the amount of force drivers feel due to rapid acceleration during high-speed corners. ^[33]Planet F1

• Orange Army

  Max Verstappen enjoys a huge popularity in the Netherlands. Many songs have been dedicated to his Formula 1 career, and his passionate fans, known as the “Orange Army,” show massive support by travelling across the globe to cheer for him during various races. Whether it’s in the United States or Asia, the “Oranje fans” can be seen everywhere, showing their enthusiasm for their favorite driver. Almost 30% of the Dutch population, approximately 5 million fans, tuned in to witness Max Verstappen’s victory at Yas Marina in 2021 as he won the title.

  

  Max Verstappen thanking his Orange Army for the support

• Switched his helmet

  Max Verstappen switched to wearing a Schuberth helmet due to the 2019 regulation changes, which made his usual Arai helmets too small for his comfort in the car. To address this issue, Red Bull allowed him to use Schuberth helmets before the start of the 2019 season.
  

• Pet Lover

  He is a pet lover and has two Bengal cats named Lewis and Toto. Reportedly, the pets are worth up to $3,000 each. ^[34]Crash

  

  Max Verstappen doing exercise at home while his pet cats are playing around

• Verstappen is afraid of…

  In an interview, Max Verstappen revealed that he is afraid of spiders and sharks. ^[35]Formula 1

• “Simply Lovely”

  Throughout his career, Max Verstappen has often used the phrase “simply lovely” as a signature quote. He often employs this expression after winning a race. Verstappen has also utilized this term to express his gratitude to his team.