Max Emilian Verstappen, born in Hasselt, Belgium, in 1997, is a Dutch racing driver with Belgian citizenship, active in Formula 1 with Red Bull, the team with which he has won the World Championship four times in a row. Max was born under the sign of speed. His father, Jos Verstappen, was a driver who competed in F1 until 2003, achieving respectable results. His mother, Sophie Kumpen, was also highly successful in karting; his uncle, Anthony Kumpen, raced in GT and Nascar events.
Max started racing at the age of 7. He debuted in the Belgian championship in the mini category and began collecting win after win, dominating in all conditions. The following year, in the same category, he won all twenty-one races on the schedule, then remained undefeated even after stepping up to a higher category, both in the Belgian and Dutch championships.
In 2013, he won the European title and the karting World Championship, and in 2014, he began considering a switch to single-seaters. After initial tests, he joined the Red Bull Junior Program: he tested several Formula Renault cars, took part in the Florida Winter Series, and won the Formula 3 Master at Zandvoort. After a test with the Formula Renault 3.5, Red Bull suggested him to skip ahead, and they brought him straight to test with Toro Rosso’s Formula 1 team, making him the only driver to race in an F1 event before reaching adulthood.
Despite the attention surrounding a 17-year-old entering Formula 1, Max remained focused. He made his debut in Melbourne, setting a record as the youngest driver on the F1 starting grid. In his second race, in Malaysia, he finished in the top 10, setting another record as the youngest ever driver to score points.
On May 5, 2016, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing to replace Daniil Kvyat, who was relegated to Toro Rosso. In his debut with the Austrian team in Spain, he qualified 4th. The following day, he managed to win the Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver to win a Formula 1 World Championship race.
His first title came in 2021. Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were equal on points going into the final race in Abu Dhabi, but thanks to fresher tires and a faster car, Max secured the championship. Max continued his conquest of titles, becoming World Champion in 2022, 2023, and 2024, equaling Alain Prost and Sebastian Vettel.