Max Verstappen is the son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen, and given his family history, a career in motor racing is not that surprising. As well as his father, known as Jos The Boss, his mother, Sophie Kumpen, was a kart driver, and his maternal grandfather, Paul Kumpen, was a GT driver. His uncle, Anthony Kumpen, has competed in various series including FIA GT and raced at Le Mans. Max’s sister also races.
Max Verstappen’s rise to Formula One has been swift. He started karting a the age of four, and won the Belgian Rotax Max Minimax championship in 2006, at the age of just nine, before winning the Dutch equivalent the following year. He quickly moved through the ranks of first national, then international karting, before testing a Formula Renault car in late 2013, followed quickly by a Formula Three car. He raced in the Florida Winter Series in early 2014, then the European Formula Three championship in 2014 for the Van Amersfoort team. Given this was his first year in single seaters, a third place in the championship with ten wins from 33 races was an impressive year. In August 2014, it was announced that Max had been approached by both the Red Bull and Mercedes teams, and after accepting a position in the Red Bull Junior Team that month, Max was confirmed as a Toro Rosso Formula One driver for 2015 just six days later. He drove a free practice session at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, just after his 17th birthday, making him the youngest ever driver to participate in a Formula One Grand Prix weekend, and is scheduled to become the youngest ever Formula One driver by almost two years at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at Melbourne, when he and fellow rookie Carlos Sainz Jr take to the track as Toro Rosso drivers.
At the end of 2014, Max set pole and won the Masters of Formula Three race, and competed in the Macau Grand Prix, where he set the fastest lap and had a seventh place finish.
After an impressive debut season seeing Max with a couple of fourth places, he remained at Toro Rosso for 2016. Ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix, Max was promoted to the Red Bull drive, and managed to win his first race. He finished the season with four second places and two third places to add to his total, and the team have retained his services through 2017, 2018 and in to 2019.
Here are a few photos of Max.
There is a list of my other Formula One driver galleries here.
Max Verstappen in 2018 Winter Testing
Max Verstappen in 2017 Winter Testing
Max Verstappen at the 2016 British Grand Prix
Max Verstappen in 2016 Winter Testing
Max Verstappen at the 2015 Belgium Grand Prix
Max Verstappen at the 2015 British Grand Prix
Max Verstappen in 2015 Winter Testing
