Formula 1 World Drivers' Championship (Max Verstappen)

Lore & Background

Verstappen is the son of Dutch former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen and Belgian former kart racer Sophie Kumpen. He was born in Hasselt and raised in Maaseik. After a record-breaking karting season in 2013, he graduated to junior formulae and finished third in the FIA European Formula 3 championship in his rookie season. At age 17, he signed for Toro Rosso as part of the Red Bull Junior Team, becoming the youngest driver in Formula One history.

He won his first Grand Prix on debut for Red Bull at age 18, becoming the youngest-ever Grand Prix winner. He won his maiden title in 2021 by overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the last race, becoming the first Dutch World Drivers' Champion. He won consecutive titles in 2022 and 2023, overturning the largest points deficit in Formula One history in the former. He secured his fourth consecutive title in 2024 after winning nine Grands Prix, including a widely acclaimed wet-weather performance in São Paulo, becoming the first driver to win the championship driving for a third-placed constructor in 41 years.

He finished runner-up by two points in a three-way title battle with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in an unspecified year.

Reader's Guide

Verstappen holds several Formula One records, including the most wins in a season (19), the most podium finishes in a season (21), the most consecutive wins (10), and the most consecutive pole positions (8, shared with Ayrton Senna). He is contracted to remain at Red Bull until at least the end of the 2030 season. Outside Formula One, he runs the Verstappen Racing team, has competed in sports car racing, and has competed professionally in sim racing since 2015, winning several marquee iRacing events. He was listed in the 2024 issue of Time as one of the 100 most influential people globally, and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2022.