Max Verstappen issues 4-word response on why his name is 'Max Emilian instead of Maximilian'

Red Bull driver Max Verstappen recently responded to a question as to why his name was Max Emilian instead of Maximilian. The Dutch driver was born to racing parents, with his father Jos Verstappen having raced in F1 from 1994 to 2003, while his mother Sophie Kumpen was a renowned karter in the 90s and even raced alongside the likes of Christian Horner, David Coulthard, and Jenson Button.

The 27-year-old made his debut on the F1 grid in 2015, aged 17, with Toro Rosso before making the jump to Red Bull in the middle of 2016. Ever since, he has been driving for the Austrian team and is currently dominating the sport having won four consecutive championships in the last four years.

On his live stream for his Team Redline, Max Verstappen was asked why his full name was Max Emilian instead of Maximilian, to which he gave a four-word reply:

"Well… I don’t know!"

Max Verstappen is constantly supported by his parents, who are often spotted in the F1 paddock and cheer him on as the four-time title winner continues to dominate the grid.

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Max Verstappen's father recalls the "emotional" moment with his son in Abu Dhabi in 2021

Former F1 driver Jos Verstappen said that Max Verstappen's 2021 title win will always be the "best" for him, while acknowledging the efforts of every championship in the following years.

Speaking with F1-Insider, the Dutchman said:

"Every title is special and valuable but the best is always the first," Jos said. "Abu Dhabi 2021 was very special, when you win the title on the last lap, you'll never forget it. Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton won't like that. I remember sitting in the pits with my son shortly after the race and we reviewed his career in fast-forward."

Highlighting his son Max skillfully navigating difficult weather conditions during the 2021 Brazilian GP, Jos added:

"It was an extremely beautiful and emotional moment for both of us. As for this year, his race in the pouring rain in Sao Paulo naturally stands out. He had to start from the back in extremely difficult conditions. It was easy to make a mistake, but Max simply drove as if the rain hadn't happened. That was special."

The Red Bull driver made the crucial and title-winning overtake on Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix to secure his first title in controversial circumstances.

He dominated the field for the next two years, winning the title by a significant margin. Last year, Max Verstappen was pushed by McLaren driver Lando Norris as the Dutch struggled with an inferior car. However, Verstappen managed to hold onto his championship by winning two of the last four races and stretching the margin to 63 points at the end.