Max
Verstappen

Netherlands

Already considered one of the greatest drivers in the sport's history, Dutch ace Max Verstappen is now a four-time Formula One world champion.

Date of birth	30 September 1997
Place of birth	Hasselt, Belgium
Age	28
Nationality	Netherlands
Discipline	Formula 1

From becoming Formula One’s youngest-ever driver to establishing himself among the sport’s all-time greats, Verstappen has spent much of his career with Red Bull by his side. “The Team is like a second family for me and I feel very at home,” he says. And that long-running relationship is far from over, with Verstappen committed to Oracle Red Bull Racing until the end of 2030.

A born winner arrives

Born in 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium, to former F1 driver father Jos and a mother, Sophie, who was a successful kart driver, it wasn't long before Max Verstappen hit the race track himself and by 2003 he was karting regularly. By 2013, he had claimed the World KZ Championship and at just 16, Max made his debut in the FIA F3 European championship. He took the series by storm with an incredible six consecutive race victories and a third-place overall finish.

In 2015, Max made history when he joined Scuderia Toro Rosso (now Visa Cash App Racing Bulls), making him the youngest Formula One driver ever to line up on the grid. A year later, he moved to Oracle Red Bull Racing and raced alongside Daniel Ricciardo and in his very first Grand Prix for the team in Spain, he defied the odds and, under relentless pressure from 2007 world champion Kimi Räikkönen, took an epic first victory. He wasn't finished there however. Max's consistency and skill saw him rack up more podium finishes in 2016, finishing fifth in the F1 Drivers' Championship despite being a near-rookie.

Rapid rise and F1 dominance

Max's rise continued, with a career-best fourth overall in 2018, followed by a third-place finish in 2019 after a series of spectacular performances and podium finishes all over the world. 2021 was season where Max went from a consistent podium presence capable of occasional giant-killing results to a bona fide world championship contender however and in the dramatic 2021 season finale in Abu Dhabi, he secured his first Formula One World Championship crown.

The following season saw Max assert his dominance over the sport, retaining the world title with four races to spare and surpassing the record for most wins in a season that Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher had jointly held.

He secured his third world title in 2023 with an incredible five races to spare, joining some of the sport's most famous names to win three titles, including Ayrton Senna, Niki Lauda and Jackie Stewart. The Dutch superstar also set a new record for the most wins ever in a season, a staggering 19.

Starting the 2024 season with three world titles to his name, it was no surprise to see Max winning Grands Prix all around the world once again. It wasn't the sweeping season that 2023 was, but Max remained focused and determined in the face of a strong challenge from McLaren's Lando Norris to secure an incredible fourth straight F1 world title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix with two races still to run.

Max the record-breaker

Max currently holds the following Formula One records:

Most wins in a season: 19 (2023)
Most consecutive wins: 10 (2023)
Most podiums in a season: 21 (2023)
Most points in a season: 575 (2023)

From a 2025 title fight to a Red Bull future through 2030

In 2025, an uncharacteristically slow start to the season saw Max trailing championship leader Oscar Piastri by 104 points and Lando Norris by 70 points after the Hungary Grand Prix. Six wins in the final nine races catapulted him back into contention as the title fight went down to the wire in Abu Dhabi. Despite victory at the finale, he ultimately finished runner-up, falling short by just two points.

In 2026, Oracle Red Bull Racing confirmed that Verstappen had extended his commitment to the Team through the end of the 2030 Formula One season. The agreement is set to take their partnership to 15 F1 seasons together, building on a run that had already delivered four Drivers’ World Championships, two Constructors’ World Championships and 71 Grand Prix victories at the time of the announcement. “To continue this journey with the same Team that I have been with my whole career is really special and something I have always wanted to do,” Verstappen said.

Alongside his F1 success, Max is also a brand ambassador for AlphaTauri, the fashion-forward team brand, further solidifying his influence both on and off the track.

Embracing a new challenge

In addition to his F1 campaign in 2026, Max also competed in the legendary 24 Hours of Nürburgring for the first time. Racing in a Mercedes AMG-GT3 with a special Oracle Red Bull Racing livery, his arrival brought huge global attention to the event, helping drive a sell-out crowd and elevating interest well beyond endurance racing’s usual audience.

Along with teammates Dani Juncadella, Jules Gounon and Lucas Auer, Team Verstappen spent much of the race fighting at the front, leading into the final hours before a late driveshaft failure ended their challenge.

Watch how Verstappen prepared for the race by tackling the mighty Fuji Speedway in a SuperGT car: