Max Verstappen

Max Emilian Verstappen (born 30 September 1997) is a Belgian and Dutch racing driver competing in Formula One, where he is the 2021, 2022, and 2023 World Champion.

He races under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing.

Verstappen is the son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen, and former go-kart racer Sophie Kumpen.

He had a successful run in karting and single-seater categories – including FIA European Formula 3 – breaking several records.

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, Blue Jaye, from Jos's second marriage, and a brother and sister, Jason Jaxx and Mila Faye, 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.

Although Verstappen has a Belgian mother, was born in Belgium and resided in Bree, Belgium, he decided to compete with a Dutch racing licence.

He stated he "feels more Dutch", having spent more time with his father than with his mother during his upbringing, and was always surrounded by Dutch people while growing up in Maaseik, a Belgian town at the Dutch border.

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, as well as the Rotax Max Challenge Belgium and 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 2015 Australian Grand Prix, when he was aged 17 years, 170 days, he became the youngest driver to compete in Formula One.

After spending the season with Scuderia Toro Rosso, Verstappen started his campaign with the Italian team before being promoted to parent team Red Bull Racing after four races as a replacement for Daniil Kvyat.

Verstappen said in 2015: "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."

In 2022, however, Verstappen stated that he appreciates both sides and is "half-half at the end of the day".

Verstappen moved to Monaco the day after, in October 2015, and has lived there since and has said it was not for tax reasons.

At the age of 18, he won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix on his debut for Red Bull Racing, becoming the youngest-ever driver and the first Dutch driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix.

After winning ten Grands Prix during the 2021 season, Verstappen became Formula One World Drivers' Champion for the first time, being the first Dutch driver and the 34th driver to do so.

He won the next two consecutive Formula One championships in and.

As of the, Verstappen has had victories, pole positions and fastest laps.

In addition to being the youngest Grand Prix winner, he holds several Formula One records, including the most wins in a season, the highest percentage of wins in a season, and the most consecutive wins.

Verstappen is set to remain at Red Bull until at least the end of the 2028 season after signing a contract extension.

He competed in Formula One for more than a season before obtaining a road driving licence on his 18th birthday.

In November 2020, Verstappen bought a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft from Virgin Galactic.

The aircraft is registered PH-DTF and operated by Exxaero.

In his free time, Verstappen enjoys sim racing.

Having taken part in many sim racing competitions, Verstappen stated that it helps him with his real life racing keeping him "ready to go".

Verstappen is a member of Team Redline; a multinational sim racing team.

Verstappen is a supporter of FC Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven.

Verstappen speaks three languages, Dutch, English and German, the latter of which he learned while karting with Michael Schumacher.

In September 2022, he was made an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his racing achievements.

Verstappen has been dating Kelly Piquet publicly since January 2021.

Verstappen started racing in karts at the age of four and competing in championships at the age of seven.