“My dad always told me you have to be as quick as you can straight away out of the box. Some people say, 'Feel your way into it; build it up.' No. My dad would say, 'Straight away, you have to be there.' And I think that helps to warm up your tyres and brakes to be on it a bit more from lap one.”

Dutch and Belgian racing driver, born 1997

Max Emilian Verstappen is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver of the Formula One era, competing under the Dutch flag for Red Bull Racing. Born in 1997, he is known for winning four consecutive Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles from 2021 to 2024. He has built a record of 74 Grand Prix victories across 12 seasons, making him one of the defining drivers of his generation. The facts most closely tied to him are those of high-level competition, sustained success, and the demands of elite motor racing.