Max Emilian Verstappen was born in Hasselt, Belgium on 30 September 1997. He represents Red Bull Racing and races in the high-profile Formula 1. His father Jos is an F1 driver and his mother is a Belgian Karting Champion called Sophie Kumpen. Verstappen started racing karts when he was four years old. He progressively moved through the various championships and secured numerous titles including, by 2009, winning Dutch, Belgian, and Flemish Minimax championships. He also had a successful career in karting internationally, as indicated by the titles he won in the WSK Euro Series in 2011 and the European KF and KZ championships in 2013.
Verstappen started his Formula 1 career at Scuderia Toro Rosso with the Australian Grand Prix in 2015. At that time, he was the youngest of drivers who competed in the sport at 17 years and 166 days old. Good performances were sufficient to promote him to Red Bull Racing after just four races of the 2016 season. Verstappen won his first for Red Bull in the Spanish Grand Prix when he became the youngest driver of all time to win a Grand Prix at 18 years and 227 days. As of November 2024, he won four World Championships (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024) and, in total, secured wins in 62 races, had 40 pole positions, and ended up on the podium 111 times. He also holds several records, such as most wins in one season (19), most podium finishes in a season (21), and most victories in a row (10). He will remain at Red Bull Racing until the end of the 2028 season.
Max Verstappen Parents
Jos Verstappen the father of Max Verstappen was born on March 4, 1972, in Montfort, Netherlands. Jos began racing in go-karts at a young age and rose fairly quickly. Jos started his Formula One career in 1994 with the Simtek team. He raced for various teams Benetton, Footwork, Tyrrell, Stewart, Arrows, and Minardi throughout his F1 career until 2003. Although he never won a Grand Prix, he did manage to secure a third-place finish twice. Once was at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix, and again at the 1996 European Grand Prix. Jos transitioned to other forms of racing, including rallying and GT after he retired from Formula One. Jos also remained in the world of motorsport as a coach as well as a mentor, particularly for Max Verstappen. Jos aided a lot in the early part of Max's racing career by putting him into karting at the age of four and then supporting him in different categories of racing. His knowledge of motorsport has played an important role in helping Max develop his style of racing.
Sophie Kumpen, the mother of Max Verstappen, was born on May 28, 1979, in Belgium also a karting professional driver with a wonderful career in the sport, she settled down to take care of her family. Throughout her competitive years, Sophie won several championships in karting and contested against several racing champions to mark herself as a confident figure among karting enthusiasts. Sophie was also a very important figure in Max Verstappen's early career as a driver. From an early age, she initiated him into the sport of karting and fostered his dreams in the world of motorsport. Even after her divorce from Jos Verstappen, Sophie remained strongly interested in Max's life and his emerging career racing. She has been there for all his steps through the ladder of Formula One, attending all the races and basking in pride with his successes. Her background in motorsport has greatly influenced Max's passion for racing. This has played a significant role in his success in the track.
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FAQs on Max Verstappen Parents
As of November 2024, Max Verstappen has won four Formula 1 World Championships (2021, 2022, 2023, and 2024).
Max Verstappen drives for Red Bull Racing in Formula 1.
Max Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut in 2015 at the age of 17, becoming the youngest driver to compete in the sport.
Max Verstappen races with the number 1 on his car, as the reigning world champion.