Max Verstappen shares emotional farewell to iconic F1 photographer Peter van Egmond on his tragic death

Four-time World Champion Max Verstappen took to his Instagram to share a tribute message to F1 photographer, Peter van Egmond, who passed away on Thursday, January 2. Verstappen shared his farewell to the Dutch photographer on his stories along with a black-and-white picture of van Egmond, who passed away at the age of 68 after battling cancer.

Verstappen, who has had many career moments photographed by van Egmond, posted an image of his compatriot, with the caption:

"R.I.P Peter. A true legend of our sport and, above all, a wonderful person."

Max Verstappen's tribute to photographer Peter van Egmond - Image via Instagram/@maxverstappen1

Peter had shared his feelings when Verstappen scored his first win with Red Bull in Spain back in 2016. Speaking to Verstappen.nl, van Egmond said:

“My whole career I hoped to witness the Dutch national anthem during a Grand Prix weekend. When I saw Max on that podium I had a lump in my throat and tears in my eyes. I really admire Max. He is six months younger than my son so I can see how special his achievements are. And the way he stays down to earth is amazing to witness.”

Peter van Egmond was stepping back from his time on the paddock in the 2024 season, but he was able to attend the Brazil GP where Max won after starting in P17. Speaking about the moment, Verstappen said (via GPBlog):

"That is a race I will never forget, and I’m really happy Peter could be there."

The photographer, who attended more than 550 races and was also a Red Bull Racing photographer, spoke about the pictures he took of Max's win in 2016, and how he felt looking back on the moment (via Verstappen.nl):

"I still feel goose bumps when I think back of Max on that podium with the Dutch flag and anthem in the background. Not many people will understand that emotion but I enjoyed every moment of that historical achievement. The fact that my pictures were seen everywhere was a nice bonus"

Verstappen's win in 2016 was the first of the 63 he has achieved so far in the sport, along with his four consecutive drivers' championship wins and 112 podium finishes.

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Max Verstappen featured in one of F1 photographer Peter van Egmond's only Instagram posts

While Peter van Egmond's instagram only has six posts, one of them features Max Verstappen. He shared an image on August 27th, 2018, just after the Belgian Grand Prix. The race saw Max finish in third place, behind the Ferrari of Sebastian Vettel and the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton.

The Dutch photographer shared the image with the caption:

"Was in a world of oranje for the last four days. Great atmosphere and good result for Max"

The 2018 drivers' championship ended with Max Verstappen finishing fourth in the standings, having scored 249 points, two points less than third place finisher, Kimi Räikkönen.