Max Verstappen

Early life

Max Emilian Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium, to Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen. Verstappen's parents separated when he was young, after which he lived with his father. His younger sister, Victoria, lived with their mother. Verstappen has three younger half-siblings from his father: a sister from Jos's second marriage and a brother and sister from Jos's current marriage.

His family has a long association with motor sports: his father is a Dutch former Formula One driver, his Belgian mother competed in karting, and his first cousin once removed, Anthony Kumpen, competed in endurance racing and is a two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion currently serving as the team manager for PK Carsport in Euro Series. Verstappen initially attended a secondary school in Maaseik, before moving into private tutoring; he admitted that he used to leave class early to attend races across Europe with his father.

Junior racing career

Karting (2005–2013)

Verstappen started racing in karts at the age of four and competing in championships at the age of seven. In 2005 he competed in the Mini Junior championship of his home province of Limburg, Belgium, and won the VAS Championship in the same category. In 2006, he repeated his success. In 2007, Verstappen graduated to the Rotax Max Mini Max class and won the Rotax Max Challenge Belgium and the Dutch Championship in that category. In 2008, racing in a CRG kart entered by his father, Verstappen won the Belgian Cadet Championship, the Rotax Max Challenge Belgium, and the Benelux Karting Series in Mini Max class. In 2009, Verstappen joined Pex Racing, a CRG customer team. That year, he defended his titles in the Mini Max championships and won the Belgian KF5 Championship.

Verstappen was signed by CRG to race in their factory team and stepped up to international karting in 2010. At the KF3 World Cup, Verstappen finished second to the more experienced Alexander Albon (who eventually became his Formula One teammate at Red Bull Racing) but beat him at the WSK Euro Series and also won the WSK World Series, beating Robert Vișoiu. He finished fifth in the European Championship and won the WSK Nations Cup as well as the final of the Bridgestone Cup where during a 28 laps' race in the rain he beat Dennis Olsen by over 11 seconds. In 2011, Verstappen won the WSK Euro Series ahead of Esteban Ocon in a Parilla-powered CRG kart. However, it was not a successful year for him, as he finished 14th in the European Championship and DNF in the World Cup after an electrical failure while he and Charles Leclerc were catching the drivers in front for the win.

In the following year, Verstappen joined the Intrepid Driver Program to race in the KF2 and KZ2 classes. He won the WSK Master Series in the KF2 class, beating the CRG driver Felice Tiene. Verstappen won the South Garda Winter Cup in the KF2 class, beating Dennis Olsen and Antonio Fuoco. He finished sixth in the WSK Euro Series. He was the youngest driver taking part in the World Championship in KF1 class and finished eighth. In July 2012, it was announced that Verstappen would leave Intrepid. After a short stint with CRG-built Zanardi karts, Verstappen returned to the factory CRG team. He finished second at the World Cup in the KF2 class and competed at the SKUSA SuperNationals in the KZ2 class in a CRG, finishing 21st.

In 2013, Verstappen completed a record-breaking season in karting, having progressed to the senior KF and KZ categories. Aged 15, he won three CIK-FIA championships in a single season: two European Championships and a World Championship; an unprecedented feat in the history of the discipline. He became the first driver since his father Jos to win two European Championships in the same season, and the first to do so in both primary classes. By winning the 2013 KZ World Championship at Varennes-sur-Allier, beating Charles Leclerc to the title, Verstappen became the youngest-ever driver to win the gearbox World Championship.

Lower formulae (2014)

Verstappen first experienced formula racing at Pembrey in August 2013 with Manor MP; he drove 160 laps across two days in a Barazi-Epsilon FR2.0–10. He tested for several other Formula Renault 2.0 teams that year. In December 2013, Verstappen tested a Dallara F311 Formula Three car run by Motopark Academy. An additional Formula Renault test followed in December at Circuito de Jerez. Driving for Josef Kaufmann Racing, Verstappen went faster than Formula Renault regulars like Steijn Schothorst and Matt Parry. At the Circuit Ricardo Tormo near Valencia, Verstappen set a faster lap time than the more experienced driver Eddie Cheever III.

On 16 January 2014, it was announced Verstappen would make his junior formulae debut in the non-championship Florida Winter Series. On 5 February, at the second race weekend, Verstappen won the race at Palm Beach International Raceway after he started from pole. A few weeks later, Verstappen won his second race of the series at Homestead–Miami Speedway after beating Nicholas Latifi by 0.004 seconds.

Following his single-seater debut in the inaugural Florida Winter Series, Verstappen drove in the 2014 FIA Formula 3 European Championship for Van Amersfoort Racing. Aged sixteen, Verstappen achieved ten victories in total—including a record six consecutive wins at Spa-Francorchamps and the Norisring—along with eight retirements and one missed start, becoming the youngest race winner and polesitter in Formula Three history at the Hockenheimring; he placed third in the overall standings, with the most wins.

Formula One career

During the first practice session at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen replaced Jean-Éric Vergne as part of his preparation for a full-time seat at Toro Rosso in the 2015 season. Aged 17 years and three days, Verstappen was the youngest person in history to participate in a Formula One race weekend. In August 2014, Verstappen joined the Red Bull Junior Team after testing a Formula Renault 3.5 car. He also considered an offer from Mercedes to join their driver development programme.

Toro Rosso (2015–2016)

Verstappen then became the youngest driver to start a World Championship race through joining Toro Rosso's race drivers' line-up with Carlos Sainz as his teammate, in his Grand Prix debut as a full-time driver at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at the age of 17 years, 166 days—breaking Jaime Alguersuari's existing record by almost two years. In this first race, Verstappen ran in points-scoring positions until he was forced to retire due to an engine failure. However, at the subsequent race in Malaysia, Verstappen qualified sixth and finished the race in seventh place, scoring his first Formula One points aged 17 years, 180 days, breaking the record of the then-youngest driver to score World Championship points.

At the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix, Verstappen was involved in a high-speed collision with Romain Grosjean, after clipping the back of Grosjean's Lotus on the approach to the tight first corner, Sainte Devote, and crashed into the barriers at high speed. Verstappen was given a five-place grid penalty for causing the accident, and was branded "dangerous" by Williams driver Felipe Massa. Verstappen continued to regularly finish in the points as well as achieving his best finish of the 2015 season in Hungary by finishing fourth, and equalled this result at the United States Grand Prix. At the end of the season, Verstappen received three awards at the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony, for "Rookie of the Year", "Personality of the Year" and "Action of the Year", for his overtake on Felipe Nasr on the outside of the Blanchimont corner at the Belgian Grand Prix.

Verstappen began the 2016 season at Toro Rosso, again alongside Sainz. Verstappen qualified fifth for the opening race of the season in Australia, but during the race made several radio calls to his team due to frustration at being behind Sainz on track before Verstappen's Toro Rosso came into contact with his teammate's car whilst attempting to pass him with three laps to go, and he eventually finished tenth. Verstappen enjoyed a more successful weekend at the following race in Bahrain, finishing sixth to score Toro Rosso's first-ever points at the Sakhir circuit.

Red Bull (2016–present)

On 5 May 2016, following the Russian Grand Prix, Red Bull Racing announced that Verstappen would be replacing Daniil Kvyat from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, with Kvyat returning to Toro Rosso. According to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner, "Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent. His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him the opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing." After qualifying fourth for the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen rose to second behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo on the opening lap after Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out of the race. Verstappen took the race lead as he was placed on a two-stop rather than the same three-stop strategy as Ricciardo, and he held off Ferrari's Kimi Räikkönen in the later stages of the race to take his first Formula One victory. By doing so he displaced Sebastian Vettel as the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One Grand Prix at the age of 18 years and 228 days. In his first eight races with Red Bull, he achieved six top-five finishes, including four podiums.

During the Belgian Grand Prix, Verstappen collided with Räikkönen at the first corner, pushed Vettel, Räikkönen and Pérez wide at Les Combes, and aggressively blocked Räikkönen on the Kemmel straight. Verstappen was criticised for his driving, with Räikkönen saying that he was "going to cause a huge accident sooner or later". Christian Horner noted that the driving was "on the edge", and that Verstappen will "look at it and learn for future races". In September, Formula One director Charlie Whiting called in Verstappen for a discussion, and later gave him a 'gentle warning' due to his aggressive driving. In October, drivers' concerns about Verstappen's defensive tactics led the FIA to disallow moving under braking.

At the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix, Verstappen qualified fourth. In a rain affected race, he almost hit the barrier after he slid on the main straight due to a loss of traction, causing oversteer. After an additional tyre change from intermediates back to rain tyres, he ran in 16th place with just 15 laps remaining. Verstappen then made several overtakes in quick succession during the closing laps to eventually finish on the podium in third place. He received considerable praise for his performance: rival team Mercedes' team principal, Toto Wolff, labelled it "The Verstappen Show", and described Verstappen's drive as "physics..being redefined". However, Verstappen came under criticism from four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who stated that Verstappen had pushed him off the track at the Junção corner late in the race. The race stewards did not share Vettel's view and decided that no reprimand was warranted.

Driver profile

Qualifying pace and consistency

Following Verstappen's maiden pole position at the 2019 Hungarian Grand Prix, former Formula One World Champion Nico Rosberg described him as the fastest driver in Formula One. Rosberg elucidated that Verstappen did not have the fastest car during the qualifying session in Hungary, emphasising that it was Verstappen's raw speed that allowed him to secure pole position: "Mercedes still had the fastest car, and it's just Verstappen with his driving that put it up there in pole."

In 2019, former Formula One World Champion Jenson Button stated that he believes Verstappen is the fastest Formula One driver ever: "I think he is the fastest driver that has ever driven an F1 car. I really do, I think he is unbelievably fast." Journalist Scott Mitchell from The Race commented: "When everything comes together, Verstappen is the quickest driver in F1 over one lap, but the odd mistake and scruffy session must be eliminated." Helmut Marko, the advisor to the Red Bull GmbH Formula One teams, stated that Verstappen is the fastest driver Red Bull have ever had.

In 2021, three-time Formula One World Champion Jackie Stewart claimed that Verstappen is the fastest driver in Formula One, but he also added that Verstappen is still in the "puppy stage" of his career. Peter Windsor, an experienced Formula One journalist, expressed Verstappen's ability to change direction "quicker than anybody else" through the high-speed section Maggots and Becketts: Silverstone's fastest sequence of corners. Windsor stressed that Verstappen's lightning-quick change of direction is a result of the innate feel he has for creating the "perfect platform" to achieve what he wants with the car during a lap. He is intrinsically able to create, for "a trillionth of a second", a minuscule "flat area" between the left and the right of a change of direction ahead of him, in order to attain a stable balance with the car before applying the next steering and throttle input. Scuderia AlphaTauri's team principal, Franz Tost, declared Verstappen to be the fastest driver in Formula One; following the Dutchman's "really deserved" maiden title triumph in 2021. After winning the 2024 World Drivers' Championship in the third-placed RB20, James Elson of Motor Sport stated "if there was any doubt beforehand, 2024 proved that Max Verstappen is F1's best driver", adding that "not only the fastest, capable of creating one-lap magic, he knows how to produce all it takes to win in the race too". Verstappen received widespread acclaim for his surprise pole lap at the 2025 Japanese Grand Prix, with Andrew Benson of BBC Sport commenting that "many F1 observers regarded [Verstappen's qualifying lap] as one of the greatest of all time".

Dominance over teammates

Former Formula One driver Eddie Irvine praised Verstappen, stating that he is "by far the most dominant team leader on the grid." Irvine highlighted that Verstappen "has had many different second drivers in the team and none of them have got close to him." During the 2020 season, Jenson Button stated that he does not "think there's been a driver that's annihilated their teammates like he [Verstappen] has in a very long time." Motorsport columnist and former Formula One driver Jolyon Palmer, commented that Verstappen's maiden World Championship triumph could usher in a "new era of dominance" in the sport. Palmer wrote:[Verstappen's] qualifying pace is frightening and has been the basis for this title-charging campaign. He's had the most pole positions of anyone with 10 – almost half of the races, and it would have been half had he completed his mesmeric Jeddah lap, which ended up being possibly Max's biggest error in a near-perfect season. For a driver who has demolished three successive team mates in three years and made only a handful of small mistakes in that time, you question what scope their [sic] even is for improvement – but if he can take his game onto another level from here, we could be about to see the start of a new era of dominance.Journalist Scott Mitchell expounded the reason why the Dutchman's teammates have fallen short "even with the data". Mitchell wrote: "Verstappen drives mainly on intuition, and that comes from years of training and preparation. He has a database in his head which he can use immediately. Even with data, Gasly and Albon could see where he was faster, but they could never grasp how he was faster there. That's because what makes Verstappen so good is mainly unconscious." According to Mitchell, those years of training and driving on his intuition has made it impossible for other drivers to measure up to Verstappen.

Helmut Marko asserted that Verstappen's progress has moved him clear of his former Formula 1 team-mate Daniel Ricciardo, in both qualifying and race trim. "There is specific data," Marko told Autosport, "In qualifying the gap to Ricciardo is greater. The strange thing is Max sometimes slides more, but still manages to keep the tyres alive." Verstappen previously mentioned that he was three or four-tenths faster on average than "very fast qualifier" Daniel Ricciardo. Marko concluded that then 20-year-old Verstappen "clearly moved away" from Ricciardo since the "second half of the 2018 season."

Natural talent

Following his maiden Formula One win, at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, three-time World Drivers' Champion Niki Lauda described Verstappen as the "talent of the century". Red Bull team principal Christian Horner stated that Verstappen is the best driver Red Bull have ever seen: "I have no doubt [Verstappen is] the best we have seen on one of our cars, in terms of outright raw ability and commitment. He's the best driver we've seen."

Gerhard Berger echoed 2009 World Drivers' Champion Jenson Button's comments, anointing Max Verstappen as the Formula One driver of this era with the most raw talent. Speaking to Sport1, Berger ventured: "When it comes to raw talent, Max Verstappen is the most talented of all. But it's not just about raw talent, it's about the whole package. That means it's not just about setting the fastest laps but also to win a race. And not just [about] one race but many and eventually a championship, and championships."

Two-time World Drivers' Champion Fernando Alonso commented that Verstappen is the standout driver in Formula One, declaring him to be "one step ahead" of everyone. Alonso noted that Verstappen deserved to win the 2021 Formula One World Championship, ahead of the title decider that saw Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton enter level on points: "Mercedes lately have been more performing and they've won a couple of races now, but Max is driving—in my opinion—one step ahead of all of us. We saw the [qualifying] lap in Jeddah, until he touched the wall at the last corner, that lap was coming from Max, not the Red Bull." Karun Chandhok likened Verstappen's ruthless and uncompromising attitude in race combat to seven-time World Drivers' Champion Michael Schumacher. By 2025, Andrew Benson of BBC Sport opined that Verstappen was "regarded by almost everyone in [Formula One] as the best driver in the world".

Rivalries

Verstappen's most well-known rival is his 2021 title rival, Lewis Hamilton. The title battle between Verstappen and Hamilton in 2021 has been compared to other legendary battles like the Prost–Senna rivalry. The two swapped leads five times, finished 1-2 in fourteen out of 22 races, and numerous incidents on-track involving the two culminated in a title decider at the season finale, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, where Verstappen, benefitting from newer tyres that were fitted during a safety car period, passed Hamilton on the final lap for the lead, and ultimately the championship.

Charles Leclerc has also been cited as one of Verstappen's rivals. Following a junior karting incident in 2012 where Leclerc brushed off a collision with Verstappen as "just an incident", a rivalry began between the two which has since been matured into mutual respect. Verstappen's battles with Leclerc are characterised as cleaner and more respectful, focusing on "pure racing". Verstappen has noted he treats Leclerc differently than other rivals, simply because he has known him and trusted his racing ability. Verstappen and Leclerc battled for the championship at the beginning of 2022 before Ferrari's performance declined, allowing Red Bull and Verstappen to eventually secure both championships.

Racecraft

Following Verstappen being given a warning for his driving conduct at the 2016 Belgian Grand Prix, the 18-year-old received the backing of then three-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who commented: "firstly, give the guy a break, he is 18 years old. What the frickin' heck were any of us doing at 18?"

Despite earning high praise and acclaim from Formula One drivers and experts in and out of the sport, Verstappen faced criticism in the wake of the penalties he incurred during the 2021 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix. Following this race, former Formula One driver Martin Brundle wrote: "Such is [his] car control and cunning, he's sometimes able to pull off the audacious moves and leave a margin of doubt as to whether it's hard racing or simply a professional foul outside of the regulations and it's those moments which are generating the confusion, controversies and inconsistencies. Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher had their faults too, and I was on the receiving end from both of them on occasions, but it's a sizeable dent on their immense reputations, not a positive." Following an impressive first half of the 2022 season, journalist David Tremayne claimed Verstappen had elevated himself to a new higher level compared to his 2021 title winning season, suggesting Verstappen's first title had made him more relaxed and "chirpy".

Following the 2024 Mexico City Grand Prix, Verstappen received widespread condemnation from fans and media for incidents involving title rival Lando Norris, for which he received 20 seconds worth of time penalties. Many commentators and former drivers likened his tactics and 'win-at-all-costs' attitude to those of Senna and Schumacher, whilst 1996 World Drivers' Champion Damon Hill characterised them as reminiscent of Wacky Races antagonist Dick Dastardly. Before the following race in São Paulo, Verstappen criticised the alleged British bias in the media, stating "I have the wrong passport". Upon his victory from 17th on the grid in the rain-affected race, he stated in the post-race press conference "I appreciate all of you being here, but I don't see any British press. Do they have to run to the airport, or [do they not] know where the press conference is?"

Fan support

Verstappen has accumulated a significant fanbase from around the world, particularly from his home country of the Netherlands. The frequent association of Verstappen with the colour orange—the national colour of the Netherlands—has led to his fanbase being referred to as the Orange Army. Several races across Europe have dedicated Verstappen grandstands to accommodate thousands of travelling Dutch fans, boosting ticket sales at Grands Prix such as in Belgium, Austria and Hungary. A Verstappen grandstand featured at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix in 2023.

During the 2021 Dutch Grand Prix, the managing director of Honda in Formula One, Masashi Yamamoto, praised Verstappen's support, stating that "in the six years I've been involved with Honda F1, I've never seen such a great turnout as at the Dutch Grand Prix. It was like being in a football stadium." In October 2021, Verstappen was voted the most popular Formula One driver in an official worldwide survey conducted by Nielsen Media Research and Motorsport Network, earning 14.4% of the vote with particular success in the United States and Japan.

The fan-made song "Super Max!", performed by the Pitstop Boys in 2016, went viral after his victory at the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, topping the Spotify Viral 50 chart in the Netherlands and reaching number two in the United Kingdom. Another fan-made EDM track "33 Max Verstappen", was released in 2023, eventually going viral on social media due to internet memes referencing the hook: "tu tu tu du, Max Verstappen" (sometimes also written as "du du du du, Max Verstappen").

Other racing

Sportscar racing

Verstappen tested the Honda NSX-GT—a GT500 class Super GT car—during the 2022 Honda Racing Thanks Day event at Motegi. After winning the event's kart race alongside Marc Márquez, Honda awarded Verstappen—the first Honda-powered World Drivers' Champion since 1991—with an NSX Type S. He later tested a Red Bull–liveried Nissan Z NISMO GT500 at Fuji prior to the 2026 Japanese Grand Prix.

In January 2024, Verstappen drove the Ferrari 296 GT3 at the Portimão, as part of a two-day test with Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters team Emil Frey Racing alongside Thierry Vermeulen, who competed under the Verstappen.com Racing banner in 2023. Team principal Lorenz Frey-Hilti stated "there were also other GT3 cars that day, but I can only say that Verstappen was driving on a different level than the rest. There are good drivers who cannot shine in a GT3 car due to a lack of experience, but Max is different. If something has four wheels, then [he's fast in it]", adding that he was "world-class".

On 19 November 2024, Verstappen drove a prototype for the first time, testing the Acura ARX-06 with Honda Racing Corporation at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, ahead of the Las Vegas Grand Prix. Verstappen expressed his desire to compete in the 24 Hours of Daytona and Le Mans after the test, stating that "it's just about finding the time".

In May 2025, he entered testing for the third round of the 2025 Nürburgring Langstrecken-Serie in the 296 under the pseudonym "Franz Hermann", where he claimed to set an unofficial GT3 lap record, reportedly in an attempt to obtain a licence to compete on the Nordschleife. He received an FIA Platinum licence later that month, allowing him to compete in top-level endurance racing.

In September 2025, he made his competitive debut on the Nordschleife in the seventh round for Lionspeed GP, completing the laps required for a GT3 permit in a horsepower-restricted Porsche 718 Cayman GT4 CS as he finished seventh in-class. Later the same month, Verstappen made his GT3 race debut and won. He drove for Emil Frey Racing, racing a Ferrari 296 GT3 with Chris Lulham in the Nürburgring Endurance Series. This start also made Max Verstappen the first defending Formula One World Champion to simultaneously compete in Formula One and another racing series since Keke Rosberg, who made a one-off appearance in the 1983 World Sportscar Championship, also at the Nürburgring Nordschleife. After qualifying third, Verstappen, who drove the first stint, passed two cars and began to create a gap of over a minute. Verstappen handed the car to teammate Lulham for the second stint; Lulham crossed the line to win the race for the team, 24 seconds ahead of the car in second place.

Sim racing

In his free time, Verstappen competes in sim racing. Verstappen stated that it helps him with his real-life racing, keeping him "ready to go". In 2015, he became a member of Team Redline, a European professional sim racing team. On 23 March 2026, he absorbed the team into his wider Verstappen Racing motorsport project, rebranding the esports organization to Verstappen Sim Racing. As part of the rebrand, the team now also serves as a driver development pathway from virtual racing into real-world competition.

He has also gained notoriety from critics for his sim racing activities clashing with Grand Prix weekends in some cases, most notably in the 2024 Hungarian Grand Prix, where he criticised Red Bull Racing's strategy calls and the RB20's lack of performance over team radio. Verstappen had taken part in an iRacing sim racing event prior to the Grand Prix, racing until 3:00 a.m.

Verstappen has competed in several marquee events on iRacing since February 2019, when he entered the Bathurst 12 Special Event—a 12-hour virtual team endurance race—alongside Lando Norris. The pair won the Spa 24 Special Event in July. Verstappen won the Petit Le Mans Special Event in October 2020. Later that year, Haas driver and R8G eSports founder Romain Grosjean deemed Verstappen to be the "fastest" driver in sim racing. He entered the eighth round of the 2023 AMX Global League at Imola, winning the first heat.

Verstappen entered the Daytona 24 Special Event in January 2024, winning the GTD class with Redline. In May, Verstappen received media attention for entering the Nürburgring 24 Special Event on the same weekend as the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix; he won both events, achieving a record-equalling eighth consecutive pole position at the latter. Following his victory at the former, Ed Hardy of Autosport opined that Verstappen had "firmly established himself as one of the best sim racers in the world". Verstappen won his second Spa 24 Special Event in July that year, completing a perfect season of 24-hour special events.

Verstappen competed in the 24 Hours of Le Mans Virtual on rFactor 2 in 2020, 2022 and 2023—hosted by Automobile Club de l'Ouest and the FIA World Endurance Championship—as well as two further rounds of the 2022–23 Le Mans Virtual Series in the LMP2 class. He described the former competition as a "clown show" after a technical issue saw him retire from the lead of the 2023 edition, subsequently finishing runner-up in the overall championship to Porsche Coanda.

Verstappen Racing

Verstappen founded the eponymous racing team Verstappen.com Racing in 2022, supporting his father Jos in rallying and Thierry Vermeulen in the ADAC GT Masters. The following year, the project expanded to GT World Challenge Europe Sprint Cup and the Deutsche Tourenwagen Masters, linking up with Ferrari customer Emil Frey Racing. In 2025, in conjunction with this effort, Verstappen.com made its debut as a standalone team in the Endurance Cup, fielding a 2 Seas Motorsport–run Aston Martin Vantage AMR GT3 Evo for Vermeulen, Harry King and sim racing convert Chris Lulham; they took the Gold Cup victory at the 24 Hours of Spa.

2026 saw the team rebrand to Verstappen Racing as it switched to Mercedes-AMG machinery and graduated to the Pro class, with a season-long GT World Challenge Europe entry with 2 Seas Motorsport, fielding Lulham and Daniel Juncadella in the Sprint Cup, with Jules Gounon joining for the Endurance Cup rounds. In March 2026, it was announced that both the team and Verstappen would make their 24 Hours of Nürburgring debut, partnering with Winward Racing. Verstappen drove the No. 3 Red Bull–liveried Mercedes-AMG GT3 Evo alongside Gounon, Juncadella and Lucas Auer. Verstappen first forayed into driver development that July, signing Belgian prodigy Dries Van Langendonck as a junior member of his team.

Personal life

Verstappen holds dual Dutch and Belgian citizenship, and decided to compete with a Dutch racing licence, as his father Jos did. He stated in 2014 that he "feels more Dutch", having spent more time with his father than with his mother during his childhood, as well as his upbringing in Maaseik, a Belgian town at the Dutch border. The following year, Verstappen added that he "actually only lived in Belgium to sleep", and that he "was raised as a Dutch person and that's how [he feels]". In 2022, Verstappen stated that he appreciates both sides and is "half-half at the end of the day". In addition to his native Dutch, he is fluent in English and German, with limited proficiency in French.

He competed in Formula One for over a season before obtaining a road driving licence on his 18th birthday. Verstappen moved to Monaco in October 2015 where he has lived ever since. In November 2020, Verstappen bought a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft from Virgin Galactic. The aircraft, registered PH-DTF, was operated by Exxaero. In January 2025, he acquired a Mangusta GranSport 33 yacht, named Unleash the Lion. The following month, he sold the Falcon 900EX and purchased a Dassault Falcon 8X, registered PH-UTL, which is also operated by Exxaero.

Verstappen is a supporter of the Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven football clubs. In September 2022, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his racing achievements. Verstappen has been dating Brazilian-Dutch model Kelly Piquet, daughter of three-time World Drivers' Champion Nelson Piquet, since October 2020. They had their first daughter in April 2025.

Awards and honours

Formula One

Formula One World Drivers' Championship: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024

DHL Fastest Lap Award: 2022, 2023

FIA Action of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2019, 2025

FIA Rookie of the Year: 2015

FIA Personality of the Year: 2015, 2016, 2017

Lorenzo Bandini Trophy: 2016

Overtake Award: 2025

Other awards

Time 100: 2024

Laureus World Sportsman of the Year: 2022

Dutch Sportsman of the Year: 2016, 2021, 2022

Autosport International Racing Driver Award: 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025

Best Driver ESPY Award: 2023, 2024, 2025

FIA Action of the Year: 2014, 2015, 2016, 2019, 2025

Autosport Awards Rookie of the Year: 2015

Autosport Awards Moment of the Year: 2024

Orders and special awards

Netherlands

Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau (2022)

Karting record

Complete CIK-FIA Karting European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete CIK-FIA Karting World Cup results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete CIK-FIA Karting World Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Racing record

Racing career summary

† As Verstappen was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points.

* Season still in progress.

Complete FIA Formula 3 European Championship results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position) (Races in italics indicate fastest lap)

Complete Formula One results

(key) (Races in bold indicate pole position; races in italics indicate fastest lap; superscript indicates point-scoring sprint position)

† Did not finish, but was classified as he had completed more than 90% of the race distance.

‡ Half points awarded as less than 75% of race distance was completed.

* Season still in progress.

Verstappen made his Formula One debut at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, and has since gone on to hold over 90 records in Formula One, including most wins in a season, most podium finishes in a season, most consecutive wins, and most consecutive pole positions.