Max Verstappen

Early life

Max Emilian Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium, to Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen. Verstappen's parents separated when he was young, after which he lived with his father. His younger sister, Victoria, lived with their mother. Verstappen has three younger half-siblings from his father: a sister from Jos's second marriage and a brother and sister from Jos's current marriage. His family has a long association with motor sports: his father is a Dutch former Formula One driver, his Belgian mother competed in karting, and his first cousin once removed, Anthony Kumpen, competed in endurance racing and is a two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion currently serving as the team manager for PK Carsport in Euro Series. Verstappen initially attended a secondary school in Maaseik, before moving into private tutoring; he admitted that he used to leave class early to attend races across Europe with his father.

Career

During the first practice session at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix, Verstappen replaced Jean-Éric Vergne as part of his preparation for a full-time seat at Toro Rosso in the 2015 season. Aged 17 years and three days, Verstappen was the youngest person in history to participate in a Formula One race weekend. In August 2014, Verstappen joined the Red Bull Junior Team after testing a Formula Renault 3.5 car. He also considered an offer from Mercedes to join their driver development programme.

† As Verstappen was a guest driver, he was ineligible for championship points. * Season still in progress.

Personal life

Verstappen holds dual Dutch and Belgian citizenship, and decided to compete with a Dutch racing licence, as his father Jos did. He stated in 2014 that he "feels more Dutch", having spent more time with his father than with his mother during his childhood, as well as his upbringing in Maaseik, a Belgian town at the Dutch border. The following year, Verstappen added that he "actually only lived in Belgium to sleep", and that he "was raised as a Dutch person and that's how [he feels]". In 2022, Verstappen stated that he appreciates both sides and is "half-half at the end of the day". In addition to his native Dutch, he is fluent in English and German, with limited proficiency in French. He competed in Formula One for over a season before obtaining a road driving licence on his 18th birthday. Verstappen moved to Monaco in October 2015 where he has lived ever since. In November 2020, Verstappen bought a Dassault Falcon 900EX aircraft from Virgin Galactic. The aircraft, registered PH-DTF, was operated by Exxaero. In January 2025, he acquired a Mangusta GranSport 33 yacht, named Unleash the Lion. The following month, he sold the Falcon 900EX and purchased a Dassault Falcon 8X, registered PH-UTL, which is also operated by Exxaero. Verstappen is a supporter of the Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven football clubs. In September 2022, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his racing achievements. Verstappen has been dating Brazilian-Dutch model Kelly Piquet, daughter of three-time World Drivers' Champion Nelson Piquet, since October 2020. They had their first daughter in April 2025.