Max Verstappen

Verstappen made his F1 debut in 2015 at the age of 17 with the then Toro Rosso team. In 2016, following a recommendation from Helmut Marko, he was promoted to Red Bull Racing. His first race with the team, the Spanish Grand Prix, proved to be a masterstroke. Verstappen won the race, becoming the youngest ever race winner at just 18 years and 228 days old.

In 2021, Max Verstappen clinched his first world title in Formula 1 during the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, making him the first Dutch driver to win an F1 World Championship. In 2022, he secured his second world title at the Japanese Grand Prix. 2023 was a year of total dominance for the Red Bull driver. He won 19 out of 22 races and claimed his third world title with six races to spare, matching Michael Schumacher’s 2002 record.

While Verstappen was challenged by Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc in the early races of 2022, that was no longer the case in the 2023 F1 season. Red Bull Racing put together an incredibly dominant car, the RB19, designed by Adrian Newey. This near-unbeatable combination of driver, car, and team led to 19 victories for Verstappen. The Dutchman also broke an impressive record: at the Italian Grand Prix, he secured his tenth consecutive win, surpassing Sebastian Vettel’s record.

Verstappen secured his third world title during the sprint race in Qatar, with six races remaining. Red Bull Racing clinched the Constructors' Championship in Japan, where Verstappen also won the race. He continued his winning streak with victories in the United States, Mexico, Brazil, Las Vegas, and Abu Dhabi. At no point during the remainder of the season did the Dutchman have any competition. He broke his own record for most wins in a season by claiming 19 victories, surpassing the 15 he achieved in 2022.

Together with Red Bull Racing, Verstappen was the clear favorite to win the world title in 2024. The performance of Red Bull in 2023, where they won 21 out of 22 races, would always be hard to surpass, but expectations were high. However, in 2024, there was no longer such dominance. Verstappen stated before the season started that the RB20 didn’t feel quite right, but as long as he kept winning, no immediate changes were made. After the Miami Grand Prix, it became clear that McLaren, with a strong upgrade package, had surpassed Red Bull in terms of performance. At the same time, the Austrian team faced increasing issues, largely linked to the car's balance.

The Hungarian Grand Prix was one of Red Bull’s low points in 2024, but after the Italian Grand Prix in Monza, the team finally admitted they needed to go back to the drawing board. In Austin, updates were introduced that proved crucial for the progress Red Bull made for the rest of the year. Verstappen won in Brazil, starting from P17 in the rain, which many considered his most beautiful victory ever. It was at Interlagos that he dealt the final blow to Lando Norris, who started from pole but could only finish in P6. The following race, in Las Vegas, Verstappen was on track for a podium finish but had to concede to Mercedes and Ferrari due to tire degradation. Verstappen finished fifth but ahead of Lando Norris, securing his fourth world title.

One of the most talked-about moments for Verstappen was the penalty imposed by the FIA after the Singapore Grand Prix. Shortly after President Mohammed Ben Sulayem announced a stricter approach to swearing, the Dutchman used the word ‘fucked’ during a press conference. The stewards, including the now-dismissed Johnny Herbert, handed Verstappen a penalty. This led the Red Bull driver to boycott official FIA press moments, responding only with short answers while answering questions from journalists outside the press conferences. Soon after, an official letter from the Grand Prix Drivers' Association (GPDA) was sent to the FIA and President Ben Sulayem. However, he disregarded this and even introduced a new punishment system for so-called misconduct ahead of the 2025 season.

Ultimately, Verstappen reached an agreement with Ben Sulayem and completed a community service penalty, which he did in Rwanda during the weekend he received his world championship trophy at the FIA Gala. His task involved mentoring and inspiring children through a grassroots development program organized by the Rwanda Automobile Club, where he was also briefed on a locally built race car.

After the announcement of Lewis Hamilton's departure to Ferrari, Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff suddenly had to search for a replacement for the seven-time world champion. He openly stated that he had set his sights on Verstappen and hinted at a potential collaboration, much to the dismay of Red Bull team principal Christian Horner. The Austrian eagerly seized on the unrest within Red Bull, stemming from both team principal Horner’s departure and staff changes, as well as the underperformance of the RB20. Verstappen decided to remain loyal to Red Bull, and by summer, Wolff ceased his efforts. He then turned his attention to young Andrea Kimi Antonelli.

Kelly Piquet is Max Verstappen’s girlfriend and the daughter of three-time F1 world champion Nelson Piquet. She was born on December 7, 1988, in Homburg, Germany, but holds Brazilian nationality. She has a daughter, Penelope, with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat. Verstappen has developed a close relationship with her, acting as a stepfather. Kelly is often seen at Verstappen's side during race weekends. She works as a model, influencer, and columnist and has a large presence on social media.

Max Verstappen and his girlfriend Kelly Piquet have been a couple for over four years but are not married. The Red Bull Racing driver has not yet proposed, so they are also not engaged. A wedding doesn't seem to be on the cards for now, although Verstappen hasn't ruled out the possibility of proposing in the future.

At the end of December, there were images of Verstappen and his girlfriend attending her brother’s wedding, Nelson Piquet Jr. The fact that Kelly failed to catch the bouquet—traditionally indicating the next to walk down the aisle—led to much amusement from Verstappen. After the wedding, the Dutchman stayed in Brazil to spend Christmas with his in-laws, including Kelly’s father, F1 legend Nelson Piquet.

For Verstappen, Kelly Piquet is not his first girlfriend. Read more here about Verstappen’s past relationships before his time with Kelly.

Yes, Max Verstappen and Kelly Piquet live together in Monaco. Kelly's daughter, Penelope, also lives with the couple, who have been together since 2020. The family has three cats: Jimmy, Sassy, and Donatello, along with a dachshund named Nino.

Max Verstappen has no children yet, but he will become a father in 2025. In December 2024, he and Kelly announced that they are expecting their first child together. Verstappen also shares a close bond with Kelly’s daughter, Penelope, whom he lovingly calls ‘P’. Penelope refers to him as ‘Maxie’ or ‘Mashy’.

Verstappen was born on September 30, 1997, in Hasselt. He is 27 years old and will celebrate his 28th birthday on September 30, 2025. Verstappen is 1.81 meters tall and weighs 72 kilograms. Despite holding both Dutch and Belgian nationality, Verstappen has stated that he primarily identifies as Dutch and races under the Dutch flag in Formula 1.

Verstappen is one of the highest-paid F1 drivers on the grid. In 2023, he was by far the highest-paid driver in the sport, earning nearly 60 million euros annually. This secured him the 22nd spot on Forbes' list of the highest-paid athletes globally. Verstappen’s net worth in 2024 is estimated at around 210 million euros, ranking him 322nd on the list.

Since 2020, Max Verstappen has owned a private jet. He purchased a Falcon 900EX, which he customized in his chosen colors—anthracite and orange—and added his personal logo, a lion. In early 2025, the four-time world champion decided it was time for an upgrade. He traded in his first jet for a Dassault Falcon 8X, valued at 50 to 55 million euros. This aircraft can travel a much longer distance without refueling: it can cover around 12,000 kilometers without a stop, compared to 7,800 kilometers for his first jet. Verstappen chose the same livery as his first private jet: anthracite with orange, and the lion logo in orange at the tail. He registered the aircraft under the name PH-UTL, an abbreviation of his own slogan: "Unleash the Lion."

His new private jet is not the only luxury purchase Verstappen made after securing his fourth world title. Since early 2025, he has also become the owner of a luxury yacht, a Super Sport 33 from the Mangusta Series. His superyacht is also named ‘Unleash the Lion.’ The yacht accommodates up to 12 guests in five cabins, and a crew of five can stay in three cabins. The exact price of the yacht is unknown, but the cheapest similar model is for sale at 12 million euros.

Team Redline is Max Verstappen’s sim racing team. The Dutchman actively participates in iRacing events, even during the Formula 1 season. McLaren driver Lando Norris has previously been a member of the team, and the duo often raced together in virtual races, including the virtual 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps.

Verstappen broke record after record during his dominant 2023 season. He surpassed his own record of most wins in a season (15 in 2022) by winning 19 Grands Prix in 2023. In Monza, he won for the tenth time in a row, breaking Sebastian Vettel’s record. He also broke the 1952 record held by Alberto Ascari by achieving the highest winning percentage (86.36%).

From the age of four, Max Verstappen dominated the karting world, winning various titles, including the WSK Euro Series and WSK World Series. Despite setbacks, he claimed the European CIF-FIA titles in 2013 before making the leap to motorsport in 2014. After impressive performances in the Florida Winter Series and the European Formula 3 Championship, he was signed by Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko. Verstappen, still just 16, first drove an F1 car in 2014. During the first free practice sessions for the Japanese, Austin, and Brazilian Grand Prix, he impressed immediately with Toro Rosso. Just a few months later, he would make his F1 debut with Red Bull’s sister team.

Former F1 driver Jos Verstappen is Max’s father. Born on March 4, 1972, in Montfort, Netherlands, Jos had a successful career in motorsport, including driving for Benetton as Michael Schumacher’s teammate. He has been a crucial figure in Max’s career development and remains an important support system in his life and career. Sophie Kumpen is Max’s mother. Coming from a family involved in karting, both her father and brother were active in the sport. Although she was a successful karting driver herself in her youth, she is now best known as the mother and early supporter of her son. Max has a younger sister named Victoria. She has two sons and a daughter.

Verstappen has his own racing team called Verstappen.com Racing. His team competes in both sim racing and real-life racing events. In sim racing, it competes alongside Team Redline, in which Verstappen himself also participates. In 2023, it was announced that Team Redline entered into a partnership with Red Bull Racing.

Verstappen.com Racing also competes in real-world racing: Max’s father Jos Verstappen competes in rallies for his son’s team, and Thierry Vermeulen, the son of manager Raymond Vermeulen, races for Verstappen’s team in the DTM series.

In 2023, Verstappen raced the RB19, designed by Adrian Newey, considered one of the best F1 cars ever. In 2024, he raced an evolution of the car, the RB20, followed by the RB21 in 2025. Privately, Verstappen owns a hypercar designed by Newey: the Aston Martin Valkyrie. He received the car as a gift from Aston Martin when the brand was still the main sponsor of Red Bull.

In November 2023, Max Verstappen graced the cover of the prestigious TIME Magazine, joining an illustrious list of athletes. Only Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Jim Clark had previously been featured.

During the F1 weekend at Zandvoort, the entire Circuit Zandvoort turns into a Max Verstappen grandstand. There is no single grandstand dedicated specifically to Verstappen fans; all the stands and terraces turn completely orange due to the large presence of the Orange Army.

Stay updated with the latest news about Max Verstappen and his team, Red Bull Racing, through this page. From official announcements, updates, and on-track performances to preparations and activities outside the F1 season, you'll find it all first on GPblog.com.