Maximizing by claiming P3 in the championship

2019 marks a year of change for Aston Martin Red Bull Racing. Not only does the team switch to a new engine partner, Honda, but Max Verstappen has to battle a new team mate, Pierre Gasly. The Frenchman has graduated from Scuderia Toro Rosso and replaces the Renault bound Daniel Ricciardo.

Max starts the season with a podium (P3) in Melbourne. It is Honda’s first podium since their return to F1 in 2015. For Max, the third spot in Australia is his sixth rostrum in a row, after a strong end to his  2018 campaign.

In the following races, Max is unable to keep up with the dominant Mercedes. The Dutchman maximises results by scoring three fourth places in a row (Bahrain, China and Azerbaijan), beating at least one Ferrari in the process.

At the first European race, in Spain, Max clinches his second podium of the year, another third place. In Monaco, Max battles Lewis Hamilton for the win, but an unsafe release by the Red Bull Racing pit crew, means Max’ 5 second penalty prevents him from reaching the top step of the podium.

In Canada, Max is unable to progress through to Q3 after he has to abort his flying lap following a Kevin Magnussen crash. In the race, Max finishes fifth, before going on to France where he takes fourth.

The Austrian Grand Prix marks a turning point in Max’ season. After a terrible start, dropping him back to tenth at the end of the first lap, Max fights his way to the front, ultimately taking the lead of Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc with three laps remaining. The first win of the season is also Honda’s first in the turbo-hybrid-era.

In the next race at Silverstone, Max looks sets for another podium before being wiped out by Sebastian Vettel. Nevertheless, he can salvage fifth, before going on to claim a spectacular win at the next round in Hockenheim. In a rain interrupted race, Max keeps his cool to take the chequered flag.

Continuing his strong form, Max collects his first pole position of his career in Hungary. In the race, Hamilton is quicker, but a second place marks a strong end to the first half of 2019.

After the summer break, Pierre Gasly is dropped in favour of Scuderia Toro Rosso graduate Alex Albon. Spa, despite thousands of Dutch fans supporting Max, proves a frustrating weekend after a first corner clash with Raikkonen results in a DNF. Things continue to be challenging in Monza where Max starts at the back of the grid, following an engine penalty. At the start of the race, Max damages his front wing in the run into turn 1, before battling back to P8.

Singapore marks a return to form with a third place. However. a fourth place in Russia is followed by two tough weekends. In Japan, Max gets hit by Charles Leclerc in the first corner; the damage caused is too severe to finish the race.

In Mexico, Max is on his way to clinch a second pole. However, he drives too fast past a yellow flag zone in the final corner. The result is a three-place grid penalty. In the race, Max and Hamilton both end up off track at the first corner, loosing positions in the process. In an attempt to work his way back up the order, Max executes a daring move on Bottas, who slices Max’ rear tyre, causing a puncture for the Dutchman. Despite dropping all the way to the back, Max keeps fighting and ultimately finishes the race in sixth.

The United States Grand Prix in Texas, in which Max finishes third, is his 100th Formula 1 start. Brazil finally delivers a second pole position and the Dutchman dominates the race, despite several safety cars. Max finishes the year with a second place in Abu Dhabi.

In the end, 2019 is Max’ most successful season in Formula 1 thus far: a third place in the championship (278 points), two pole positions and three wins build the excitement for a title mounting campaign in 2020.

Results

Grand Prix      	Qualifying	Race
Australia      	        4               3
Bahrain  	        5               4
China           	5               4
Azerbaijan      	4       	4
Spain           	4       	3
Monaco          	3       	4
Canada           	9       	5
France           	4       	4
Austria         	2       	1
Great Britain           4        	5
Germany         	2       	1
Hungary         	1        	2
Belgium                	5         	DNF
Italy                 	19            	8
Singapore         	4          	3
Russia          	9         	4
Japan               	5              	DNF
Mexico                	4          	6
USA                	3         	3
Brazil               	1         	1
Abu Dhabi          	2       	2

Ironclad year after a difficult start

2018 is the fourth season for Max Verstappen in Formula 1. Just like in 2017 this year has as difficult start for Max. After a spin during the first race of the season in Australia, the Dutchman finishes sixth. The subsequent race ends in a DNF after Max ran into Hamilton. In China both Aston Martin Red Bull Racing drivers seem to head towards a one-two finish because of a smart strategy. Unfortunately, Max runs into Sebastian Vettel during an overenthusiastic overtake, and he finishes in P5. It goes from bad to worse in Baku when Verstappen and teammate Daniel Ricciardo run into each other after a firm battle and both retire from the race. A third place in Spain is the first podium for the Dutch driver in 2018.

A new setback follows in Monaco. The RB14 is that weekend the fastest car on track. However, Verstappen crashes in the third free practice and cannot participate in qualifying. From the back of the grid, Verstappen finishes in P9, while Ricciardo wins the race.

Monaco represents the turning point of the season. In the subsequent races Max hits back with a third place in Canada and a second place at the returning circuit of Paul Ricard. Max wins at the Red Bull Ring in Austria after an unparalleled race in front of tens of thousands of Dutch fans. It is an absolute highlight of the season for Max.

Max drives strong at Silverstone, but technical failure causes him to retire. After which in Germany he ends in P4. But in Hungary Max has to park his RB15 again alongside the track with technical trouble. As every year the grand stands at Spa-Francorchamps colour orange and Max treats his fans by finishing third. In Italy Max finishes in P3, but because a 5 seconds time penalty for pushing Bottas of the track, Verstappen ends the race in P5.

On the streets of Singapore Max qualifies second and also finishes the race in that position. In Russia Max ends in P5 while he started from P19 on the grid. On Suzuka Max scores a third place, his third consecutive podium in three years’ time.

After an amazing catch-up, starting from the eighteenth place on the grid, Max finishes second in the United States. After again a P2 qualifying in Mexico, just missing pole position, Max wins the race dominantly.

Max finishes the season in style with two podiums. In Brazil Max seems to head towards a victory, but he is pushed of the track by backmarker Esteban Ocon when he tried to unlap himself. Fortunately Max can drive on, but has to settle for P2. In Abu Dhabi Max scores his fifth podium in a row, which brings his total this season to eleven podiums.

With a fourth place in the championship, 249 points and two victories, 2018 is the most successful year so far for Verstappen. For 2019 Aston Martin Red Bull Racing will swap the Renault for a Honda power unit. Also Verstappen gets Pierre Gasly as his new teammate.

Results

• FIA Formula 1 World Championship
  AUS 6
  BHR DNF
  CHI 5
  AZE DNF
  SPA 3
  MON 9
  CAN 3
  FRA 2 
  OOS 1
  GBR 15
  DUI 4
  HON DNF
  BEL 3
  ITA 5
  SIN 2
  RUS 5
  JPN 3
  USA 2
  MEX 1
  BRA 2
  ABU 3

Tough year with a glorious finish

After a successful 2016, in which Max made the switch from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing – winning his first Grand Prix and claiming seven podium finishes in the process – the expectations for the 2017 season are high.

However, come the first race in Australia, it is apparent Red Bull Racing lack the speed to fight at the front with Mercedes and Ferrari. Max’s fifth place in Melbourne is thus the maximum result in the opening round of the championship.

Despite the RB13’s lack of outright pace, Max is able to excel in wet conditions in China. Starting from sixteenth, the Dutchman carves his way through the field to earn his first podium of the year with third place.

In Bahrain, Max suffers his first DNF of the season after the brakes fail. The youngster bounces back with fifth in Russia but at the start of European season in Barcelona, Max is out after the first lap; an attempt to pass Valtteri Bottas (Mercedes) and Kimi Raikkonen (Ferrari) on the outside of the first corner ends in a crash and zero points. In the streets of Monaco, Max is heading for his second podium of the year, until a badly timed pit stop throws him back to fifth.

In the following three races, things go from bad to worse; three DNFs in a row. In Canada, electrical issues end the Dutchman’s race prematurely after a terrific start from fifth to second. In Baku, Max is targeting a potential victory. Instead, the RB13 breaks down again, with the other Red Bull (Daniel Ricciardo) taking the victory spoils. Austria completes the run of bad luck. In front of thousands of Verstappen fans that made the trip to the Red Bull Ring, clutch problems result in terrible start for  Max. To make matters worse, Daniil Kvyat ploughs into the RB13 at the first corner, ending Max’s Austrian adventure after just one lap.

At Silverstone, Max is back in the points with a fourth place, followed by P5 in Hungary. Unfortunately, he is not able to build on the points gathering momentum in the final two European events of the year. At his home Grand Prix at Spa-Francorchamps, engine problems result in another early retirement. In Italy, Max qualifies second in the rain, but penalties throw him back to thirteenth on the grid. A collision with Felipe Massa (Williams) means Max struggles his way to tenth and a single championship point.

Singapore provides the backdrop for one of the talking points of the season. After starting alongside pole-sitter Sebastian Vettel (Ferrari), Max is squeezed by the two Ferraris – after an excellent start by Kimi Raikkonen - into turn one. The result is a huge crash, taking out Max, Vettel, Raikkonen and an innocent Fernando Alonso in his McLaren.

From Malaysia onwards, the tide turns. Red Bull Racing have unlocked the pace of their RB13 and at the Sepang circuit, Max takes his first win of the year and his second victory of his Formula 1 career. The Dutchman hunts down Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), overtakes the world champion on lap four and dominates all the way to the finish. In Japan, Hamilton and Max trade places, with the Mercedes driver winning at Suzuka.

After the start crash at Singapore, Max is caught up in another major talking point of the 2017 season: at Austin he fights his way from sixteenth to third after a spectacular overtake on Kimi Raikkonen in the final few corners. Unfortunately, the stewards deem Max’s move as illegal as he exceeded track limits. The resulting time penalty throws the Red Bull driver back to fourth.

Max bounces back the best way possible; with an emphatic win in Mexico. After muscling his way past championship contenders Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel in the first couple of corners, the Red Bull Racing ace dominates the rest of Grand Prix to clinch his third career win.

In the final two races, the RB13 is no match for Ferrari and Mercedes and Max finishes his year with two fifth places.

His first full season at Red Bull Racing earned Max four podiums (incl. two wins) and 168 championship points. Despite reliability problems, the Dutchman’s 2017 campaign ended on a positive with strong performances in the final quarter of the year and a contract extension with Red Bull Racing until 2020.

Results

• FIA Formula 1 World Championship
  AUS 5
  CHI 3
  BHR DNF
  RUS 5
  SPA DNF
  MON 5
  CAN DNF
  AZE DNF
  OOS DNF
  GBR 4
  HON 5
  BEL DNF
  ITA 10
  SIN DNF
  MAL 1
  JPN 2
  USA 4
  MEX 1
  BRA 5
  ABU 5

Youngest ever Formula 1-racewinner

In 2016, Max commences his second campaign with Toro Rosso after a successful début in Formula 1 during his first season. In Australia, Max superbly qualifies in fifth, unfortunately this result couldn’t be kept alive in the race where he eventually came in tenth fastest. In Bahrain and China he finishes quite decently in the points coming in sixth and eighth. In Russia, Max is heading for a sixth place finish when his engine dies on him.

After the race at Sochi, surprisingly it is announced that Max, effective immediately, will trade places with Daniil Kvyat at Red Bull Racing. Verstappen has a dream start in Spain with his new team. After having qualified fourth fastest, a nerve racking race follows. After a crash at the start involving both Mercedes, Max is behind his team mate Daniel Ricciardo in second. However, a different strategy puts the Dutchman in the lead. Under tremendous pressure, put on by Kimi Raikkonen, Max is able to keep his cool and outdo the ‘Iceman’ by snatching his first ever Formula 1-win. With this he becomes the youngest ever Grand Prix winner, being 18 year and 228 days.

In the following race, in the streets of Monaco, Verstappen tumbles from cloud nine whilst crashing in the race. He regroups himself in Canada where he finishes fourth. The Red Bull Racing-driver finishes eighth in Baku and comes in second fastest after a brilliant race in Austria, after being once again hounded by Raikkonen. In the UK, where he magnificently overtakes Nico Rosberg on the outside in wet conditions, Max comes in second. P5 follows in Hungary and a third place finish in Germany.

In front of the many tens of thousands of Dutch fans at Spa, Max qualifies second fastest. The first time ever a Dutchman is starting a Grand Prix from the front row. A collision with both Ferraris in the first corner prevents him from bringing home a good result. After seventh in Italy and sixth in Singapore, two great podium finishes follow. In Malaysia, Max rounds up the one-two finish for Red Bull Racing. He comes in second after a great fight with team mate Daniel Ricciardo. In Japan, Max fends off Lewis Hamilton and scores once again a second place finish.

Verstappen drops out in America due to a broken gear box, after which he crosses the line third fastest in Mexico. Eventually he is demoted to fourth for having abused track limits during a defensive move. In Brazil, Max drives a flawless race in the wet. Having progressed to second, Verstappen drops all the way back to P16 as a result of an ill-timed pit stop. Max fights his way back to third in just sixteen laps, giving his peers a Masterclass of driving in the wet. The cherry on the pie is when the youngster also took home the fastest lap of the race.

The season ends with a fourth fastest finish in Abu Dhabi. This puts Max fifth in the final standings with no less than 204 points to his name. Having been promoted to Red Bull Racing, acquiring seven podium finishes and with the much coveted first victory in his pocket, the 2016-season can be ticked off as being more than successful. Next objective: the championship.

Results

• FIA Formula 1 World Championship
  AUS 10
  BHR 6
  CHN 8
  RUS DNF 
  SPA 1
  MON DNF
  CAN 4
  AZE 8
  OOS 2
  GBR 2
  HON 5
  DUI 3
  BEL 11
  ITA 7
  SIN 6
  MAL 2
  JPN 2
  USA DNF
  MEX 4
  BRA 3
  ABU 4

Youngest ever Formula 1 driver

After several useful winter tests, in which he completes plenty of laps and gains valuable data and experience, Max makes his Formula 1 race debut in Melbourne. At the Australian Grand Prix, Max became the youngest ever F1 driver. He gets off to a good start, but unfortunately an engine failure prevents the youngster from scoring points. Nevertheless, his strong performance shows he hit the ground running.

Max did not have to wait long for his first points. In Malaysia he finishes in an impressive seventh place, making him the youngest points scorer in the history of the sport. In China, after several impressive overtakes, Max is set for P8 until, two laps before the end, power unit issues prevent him from finishing. The engine woes continue in Bahrain with another DNF.

The European season starts with a difficult drive in Barcelona, finishing just outside the points (P11). In the street of Monte Carlo, Max is once again able to show is incredible talent. With several stunning overtakes, he steals the show until his first big crash in F1 – piling into the back of Romain Grosjean at St Devote – ends his race prematurely.

A non-points finish in Canada is followed by the second points haul of the year at the Red Bull Ring (P8). Max celebrates this in style at Italia a Zandvoort, entertaining 30.000 fans with a spectacular demonstration and donuts. However, the following race at Silverstone is one Max wanted to forget sooner rather than later after spinning off track behind the safety car.

The Hungarian Grand Prix is one of the highlights of the season. At the Hungaroring, Max wrestles the STR10 to a P4 finish, fighting his way up the order from eighth on the grid. Max takes the momentum to his home race at Spa-Francorchamps. Not only does he impress by finishing eighth from P18, but he pulled off the overtake of the season passing Felipe Nasr around the outside through Blanchimont.

After a penalty and no points in Monza, Max embarks on a string of strong race performances. His P8 in Singapore become the talk of the town after his “NO!”, in response to team orders. In Japan, more points were won with a ninth place at Suzuka, followed by a point in Russia.

A stunning drive to fourth at the Circuit of the Americas was labeled as “my best race so far” by Max after the American Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old ends the year on a high. Despite no points in the season finale in Abu Dhabi, the Red Bull Junior shows his race craft in Mexico and Brazil with two ninth places. At Interlagos, Max pulls of another one of his gutsy overtakes. This time, Sergio Perez is the victim after a daring manouvre in turn 1.

Max ends his rookie campaign in twelfth place in the championship and 49 points on the board. No doubt, a good start to a promising Formula 1 career.  

Results

• FIA Formula 1 World Championship
  AUS DNF
  MAL 7
  CHN 17
  BHR DNF
  SPA 11
  MON DNF
  CAN 15
  AUS 8
  GBR DNF
  HON 4
  BEL 8
  ITA 12
  SIN 8
  JPN 9
  RUS 10
  USA 4
  MEX 9
  BRA 9
  ABU 16 

Début in single seater racing

2014 marks the début year in car racing for Max Verstappen. The 16-year-old flies to Miami to participate in the Florida Winter Series in January and February. The series are supported by the Ferrari Driver Academy and its main goal is to prepare budding young racing drivers for a professional motorsport career. The participants compete at three American race tracks across four rounds, each consisting of three races. The drivers drive identical Tatuus FA010B Formula Abarth single seater racers.

From the start, Max shows he is a worthy opponent in a field consisting of many experienced Formula 3 drivers. In his very first single seater race, at Sebring, Max leads the pack for most of the race, but he finishes is fourth after a slight mistake. A collision in the second race of Round 1 results in a DNF whereas a drive through penalty in Race 3, throws him back to eighth.

During the second round at Palm Beach, the unexperienced rookie clinches his first podium with a deserved second place. Race 2 results in seventh but Max bounces straight back with his first motorsport victory in the third race of the weekend. Despite constant pressure and a gearbox problem, Verstappen junior holds off his opponents to cross the line in first.

The third round of the series, held in Miami, is characterized by a mature perfromance by Max as he bags two third places on top of a DNF. Race 1 of the fourth FWS round, challenges Max’ racing instincts as he manages to finish in a solid fourth place after lapping in last place after the first lap. During the second race in Homestead, Max is robbed of second place after a skirmish. He ends the race in fifth. However, the rapid youngster once again shows his tenacity by claiming a slipstream victory (by a margin of 0.004s!) in the last FWS race of the series.

At the start of March, the news is announced that Max, with Van Amersfoort Racing, will contest the prestigious FIA Formula 3 European Championship. With this collaboration, Verstappen junior follows in his father's footsteps, as Jos Verstappen, driving for the same Dutch outfit, clinched the Formula Opel Lotus Benelux Championship in 1992.

Despite the Volkswagen engine in the back, Max is able to take on the works teams powered by Merdeces. In only his third race, he claims his first podium at Silverstone. A round later, at Hockenheim, he clinched his first victory.

Two DNFs at the Pau street circuit are followed by a few lukewarm results at the Hungoring. However, Max and Van Amersfoort show resilience by taking on the lessons learned in the early stages of the season. The Dutchman strikes back with two hattrick wins at the legendary Spa-Francorchamps and a soacked Norisring, claiming six wins on the trot.

He continues his season with a second and third place in Moscow, a podiumless weekend at the Red Bull Ring, before taking a win at the Nurburgring.

Max finishes the season on a high with wins at Imola and Hockenheim. It brings his victory tally up to ten, more than any other driver. In the end, he finishes his rookie championship in third with411 points. In addition, Max emulates Verstappen senior by winning the prestigious Zandvoort Masters, thus following in the footsteps of many famous F1 names.

The race wins and strong performances do not go unnoticed. Several Formula 1 outfits show interest in adding Max to their talent programme. However, at the start of August, the youngster announces he oins the infamous and ambitious Red Bull Junior Team.

Little over a week later, Formula 1 history is written with Max being presented as one of the two Scuderia Toro Rosso drivers for the 2015 season. To obtain a superlicense, and thus the right to compete in Grands Prix, Max completes 148 laps in a Scuderia Toro Rosso at the Adria International Raceway in Italy.

His first run in an F1 car is followed by Friday free practice outings at Suzuka (P12), the Circuit of the Americas (P10) and Interlagos (P6). During the first two test days after the final race in Abu Dhabi, Max sets an impressive third quickest time in the STR9, on top of gainingvaluable track time ahead of his rookie Formula 1 season.

Results

• Florida Winter Series
  Sebring - 4, DNF, 8
  Palm Beach - 2, 7, 1
  Homestead - 3, DNF, 3 
  Homestead - 4, 5, 1
• 3rd - FIA Formula 3 European ChampionshipSIL - DNF, 5, 2
  HOC - DNF, DNS, 1
  PAU - 3, DNF, DNF
  HUN - DNF, 16, 4
  SPA - 1, 1, 1
  NOR - 1, 1, 1
  MSC - 3, DNF, 2
  RBR - 5, 4, 12
  NUR - 1, DNF, 3
  IMO - DNF, 2, 1
  HOC - 1, 5, 6
• Winner - Formula 3 Zandvoort Masters
  Zandvoort 1st
• Formula 3 Macau Grand Prix
  Macau 7th

World and European champion karting

The 2013 season is Max’ final as well as his most successful year in karting. The 15-year-old is crowned world and double European champion driving his CRG-kart powered by TM-engines. On top of that, Verstappen junior wins three other championships as he dominates both the manual (KZ) and the automatic (KF) transmission categories in world karting.

The season kicks off at the Winter Cup in Lonato where Max successfully defends his title in the KF2 category.
He then jumps into a manual transmission kart to win round 1 of the WSK Master Series at La Conca. Despite an engine failure, a crash and a time penalty at the second round in Sarno, Max squeezes out a sixth and seventh position in the pre-final and final.
In Precenicco, he takes a second and first place, meaning his third and second position at the fourth and last round at Castelletto are enough to clinch the WSK Master Series title in the KZ2 class.

Max proves relentless in his quest for success as he also wins the prestigious WSK Euro Series. He opens the championship hunt with a double victory at La Conca before repeating this result at Zuera (despite starting one of the races from tenth). At Sarno, the youngster has to settle for a third place and a DNF. Regardless, Max seals the deal during the final round in Genk. He takes the WSK Euro Series KZ1 title with a victory and a third place.

Max also participates in one of the Rotax Max Euro Challenge rounds, to promote CRG karts. Despite lacking the experience in this category, in which all drivers use a standardized engine, Max bags a respectable second place in both the final and pre-final at Castelletto.

The rapid youngster is eager for more and enters the world and European championships KF and KZ. The chase for silverware kicks off at Wackersdorf for the European championship KZ. Max beats a line-up of top class drivers to an emphatic victory. He continues his string of wins in Genk, during the second and final round of the series. There, he is crowned the CIK-FIA European champion KZ.
Max now has his sights set on European success in the KF category. Despite missing out on victories in both rounds of the championships held in Alcaniz (Spain) and Ortona (Italy), he still clinches his second European title by finishing in third and second. Consistency proves the key to this success.

Varennes sur Allier is the backdrop for what turns out to be Max’ highlight of the season: the CIK-FIA World Championship title, the pinnacle of world karting. Verstappen junior is truly unbeatable as he clinches the victory in the final.
Max has one more goal: to win the world championship KF. He dominates the opening round at Brandon (United Kingdom) with a win from pole position. However, during the second and final round of the competition in Bahrain, Max does not finish the race after a collision. He is clearly disappointed, but the 16-year-old still claims a respectable third place in the CIK-FIA world KF championship.

Meanwhile, Max drives his first ever laps in a single seater race car mid-August. At the Pembrey circuit in Wales, the youngster straight away shows his talent and extraordinary speed in a Formula Renault 2.0. Max continues testing an FR2.0 at Hockenheim with KTR before travelling to Alcarras. There, he absolves a two day test session with Koiranen GP where he laps faster than the track record.
During the collective FR2.0 test in Barcelona, Max ends the session in eighth, driving for KTR. In October, he returns to the top of the leader boards by driving faster than the track record at the Hungaroring in Tech 1’s Renault racer. This positive momentum is carried over to a very wet Spa-Francorchamps, where, in an outing for Josef Kaufmann Racing, Max is (unofficially) the fasted driver out on track.
Upon his return to Barcelona, once again driving for Tech 1, Max tops the time table both days, lapping faster than the track record. After that it is same team, same country but a different location as Verstappen junior puts in competitive lap times at Motorland Aragon. Mid-December, Max has his last FR2.0 outing of the year, as he joins Josef Kaufmann for a test at Jerez. The talented Dutchman ends the session (unofficially) in second, out of the forty drivers participating.

After nine successful FR2.0 tests, Max is invited to test an ATS Formel 3 Cup car, courtesy of Team Motopark. During his first day, as an F3 rookie, he puts in the fastest lap of the day. Bearing in mind that the youngster was up against several different F3 spec cars and tyres, it is still a remarkably strong performance on his first Formula 3 outing.

Results

• Winner – Winter Cup, KF2
• Champion – WSK Master Series, KZ2
• Champion – WSK Euro Series, KZ1
• 2nd – Rotax Max Euro Challenge, Senior
• Champion – CIK-FIA European Championship, KZ
• Champion – CIK-FIA European Championship, KF
• Champion – CIK-FIA World Championship, KZ
• 3rd – CIK-FIA World Championship, KF

Resilience

Max’ 2012 season is probably best described as his most varied season in karting as he contested during seventeen weekends in ten different series across three different categories. Throughout the year, the fourteen-year-old proofs he can adapt easily to new categories and types of karts. Yet the 2012 campaign also presents the youngster with several on-track disappointments, inevitably testing the champ’s resilience.

The year kicks off with Max switching to the Intrepid team, an Italian outfit using TM-engines. As Max is now old enough to compete in the KF2 category, the most competitive automatic transmission class, he enters the Winter Cup in Lonato. Verstappen junior is immediately on the pace as he convincingly wins the pre-final and final of the event.

Max continues his success in Italy as he enters the three tier WSK Master Series held at La Conca, Sarno and Castelletto. After finishing twice in second, Max takes the win in the last round of the championship. He is therefore the series’ champion.

Come April time, Max seeks a new challenge by driving a manual transmission kart in the KZ2 category. The first round of the BNL Karting Series at his home track in Genk is used to gain experience in the new kart. Max does not need much time to adapt: he wins all four finales.

After this triumph, the talented youngster returns to his KF2 kart to enter the German and British rounds of the CIK-FIA European Championship. In very wet conditions, Max shows his true talent by clinching a victory and a second place at Wackersdorf. However, the all deciding series round at Brandon in the UK does not end as well as its German counterpart. Initially Max takes another win and podium (third), but the protest launched by the Verstappens against a time penalty is discarded. Max loses his European title. Another resilience test for Verstappen junior.

Next on the calendar are the four rounds that make up the WSK Euro Series. The Dutchman initially has a good start to his campaign with a win in the rainy pre-final victory at Sarno. After that, all momentum seems lost after a bad judgement call at Sarno, being forced off the track in France and mechanical issues at La Conca. Despite having missed out on the championship, Max travels to Spain to contest in the final round of the series. His weapon of choice for the weekend is a Zanardi/Parilla kart provided by the Chiesa Corse team. Max does not quite find his speed back and ends the WSK Euro Series in sixth.

Mid-August it is announced that Max will finish the season driving a CRG-kart powered by a TM-engine. After returning to these familiar surroundings, Max decides to participate in the Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft to gain manual transmission track time. In the blistering heat Max claims pole positions but collisions in both finals result in DNFs.

Next stop is Sarno, where the CIK-FIA World Cup KZ2 is hosted. After an epic drive in the pre-final, winning from P10 on the grid, Max only just misses out on the win in the final after a skirmish with an opponent. The 15-year-old bounces straight back at Zuera in Spain as he returns to a KF2 kart for once again the CIK-FIA World Cup. Max shows good speed throughout the weekend and despite not winning he ends this championship as runner-up.

After that, Max is off to Japan, where he does not have the best of starts to the CIK-FIA World Karting Championship KF1. By scoring a thirteenth, fourth, third and a DNF, he only has a mathematical chance for the title when the championship visits Macau for the final round. In the first final, Max scores a good P2 after which mechanical issues prevent the Dutchman from scoring any further points.

The tumultuous season is concluded with the Superkarts! USA Supernationals KZ2 race in Las Vegas. Max drives the perfect weekend. Unfortunately, while leading the final, a technical defect forces him to retire. 2012 was a year in which Max endured more than his fair share of bad luck. However, it undoubtedly strengthened his resilience.

Results

• Winner - Winter Cup, KF2
• Champion - WSK Master Series, KF2
• Winner - Round 1 BNL Karting Series, KZ2
• 6th - WSK Euro Series, KF2
• 10th - CIK-FIA European Championship, KF2
• 8th - CIK-FIA World Karting Championship, KF1
• DNF - 4e ronde Deutsche Kart Meisterschaft, DSKM/KZ2
• DNF - CIK-FIA World Cup, KZ2
• 2nd - CIK-FIA World Cup, KF2
• DNF - Superkarts! USA Supernationals, KZ2

Mixed fortune

In 2011, Max continues his international karting career together with the CRG/Maxter combination. Like the previous year, the youngster will compete in the KF3 category as he participates in the Winter Cup, the first round of the WSK Master Series, the WSK Euro Series, the CIK-FIA European Championship and the CIK-FIA World Cup.

Over the winter, the 13-year-old Dutchman has not lost any of his speed as he secures a second place at the traditional season opener at the Winter Cup in Lonato. Next stop is La Conca for the first round of the WSK Master Series. After an incredible drive from twentieth on the grid, Max finishes in third.

So far, Max' 2011 campaign is off to a good start and he does not appear to slow down at the next two events, the first couple of rounds of the WSK Euro Series. In Italy he takes two second places before dominating the Portuguese round of the series. At this point, Max secured a luxurious lead in the Euro Series standings.

From this moment on, the season seems to take a turn for the worst. During the qualifying round for the CIK-FIA European Championship in Great Britain, Max does not finish the final after a collision. However, he still qualifies for the final round of the series, held in Spain. There, the misery continues as Max' share is a fourteenth place after crashes in both the pre-final and final.

The Dutch talent returns to Italy for the third round of the WSK Euro Series to defend is solid lead in the standings. Unfortunately, Max incurs a nasty rib injury resulting him to fly home early without taking any points with him.

All of the setbacks dramatically decrease Max' championship lead, but Verstappen junior decides enough is enough as he heads down to Spain for the last round of the series at Zuera. He wins the pre-final and his fifth place in the final secures the prestigious WSK Euro Series KF3 title for the second time in succession.

However, the season does not end on a high. During the CIK-FIA World Cup, Max takes a second place in the pre-final but the final concludes, after a collision, in a disillusioned DNF. Max' 2010 season was therefore not the campaign he hoped for as many setbacks overshadowed his good start to the year.

Results

• 2nd - Winter Cup, KF3
• 3rd - Round 1, WSK Master Series, KF3
• Champion - WSK Euro Series, KF3
• 14th - CIK-FIA European Championship, KF3
• DNF - CIK-FIA World Cup, KF3

International début

The 2010 season is an exciting new step in Max' career. As he reaches the age of 12, he can now compete against the very best drivers in karting. In his first year at an international level, Max secures a spot on the Italian CRG factory team which means he has a busy year ahead of him. Apart from lots of testing, the youngster will compete in the Winter Cup, the WSK Euro and World Series, the WSK Nations Cup, the CIK-FIA European Championship and the CIK-FIA World Cup. At all the events, spread out over fourteen race weekends across the world, Max competes in the KF3 category (drivers between 12 and 15 years of age).

In his first international kart race, the Winter Cup in Lonato (Italy), Max finishes within a few tenths of the winner. No doubt a solid start to the 2010 campaign. Verstappen junior continues the year in the highly regarded WSK Euro Series. Apart from one pre-final, Max consistently finishes on the podium as he takes the title after five rounds.

He qualifies himself for the CIK-FIA European Championship held at his home track in Genk (Belgium). There, Max puts in a stunning drive during the pre-final as he drives from twelfth to finish third. He cannot repeat his podium in the final as he ends the race in fifth after a collision.

Despite not getting the result he wanted at Genk, Max shows resilience during the final of the CIK-FIA World Cup in Portugal. He displayes his racing instinct and prowess to take an impressive second place after several setbacks. He carries this momentum on to a wet Lonato where he wins the pre-final and final of the Bridgestone-Cup.

Meanwhile, Max also participates in the WSK World Series with his CRG-kart, powered by a Maxter engine. In Portugal, the United States and Egypt, Max thrashes the opposition and he takes the title in this global championship. Without a doubt, winning the World Series is the highlight if Max' international début season 

The season is wrapped up at La Conca where the WSK Nations Cup is hosted. Max dominates the weekend by winning all qualifying heats, the pre-final and the final, all in the KF3 category. The talented Dutchman is thus happy with his first year at an international level: "At the beginning of the season we didn’t expect to be this successful. We've effectively been on the podium at every race, so I’m delighted with this year."

Results

• 2nd - Winter Cup, KF3
• Champion - WSK Euro Series, KF3
• Champion - WSK World Series, KF3
• 5th - CIK-FIA European Championship, KF3
• 2nd - CIK-FIA World Cup, KF3
• Winner - Bridgestone-Cup Final, KF3
• Winner - WSK Nations Cup, KF3

Racing instinct

Restricted by his age, Max has no other option than to contest in the same championships he won in 2008. This time round, he dominates them even more! He wins the Belgian Rotax Max Challenge by taking the victory in all eighteen races. He continues his blistering performance in the KF5 cetegory (formerly the Cadet class) of the Belgian Karting Championship. He finishes all twelve races on the podium (ten victories and a couple of second places) and thus wins the series for the second consecutive year.

However, the highlight of Max' season, has to be his Benelux Karting Series campaign. It is not winning the championship again, with wins in eleven out of twelve race, that grab everyone's attention. It is two extraordinary comback races showing Max true racing pedigree.

In Ostricourt, France, Max finishes the first race in last position due to a carburettor issue. The consequence of this result is P19 on the grid for the second race. However, Max stuns everyone as he overtakes the whole field to take an impressive victory.

Verstappen junior faces a similar challenge during the last weekend of the series in Genk. After starting the race from pole, Max is clipped on the rear and resumes the race in last position. The Dutchman shows his sublime racing instinct with plenty of overtaking manoeuvres resulting in another race win.
A truly phenomenal year for Max.

Results

• Champion - Belgian Rotax Max Challenge, Mini Max category
• Champion - Benelux Karting Series, Mini Max category
• Champion - Belgian Karting Kampioenschap, KF5 category

Title after title

After the two titles in 2007, Max is keen on prolonging his successful karting career. He does so in style as he wins not two, but three championship titles. However, 2008 also marks the year in which his unbeaten run ends.

Like 2007, Max enters enters the Belgian Rotax Max Challange contesting in the Mini Max category. Of the eighteen race, he wins sixteen. The other two races he finishes in second and, after spinning of a wet track, in fourteenth. Regardless, Max takes the Belgian championship for the second year in a row.

The second championship he enters, is the Benelux Karting series. Again, the Mini Max category is the youngster's playing field. The championship is contested across three weekends, each containing four races. Max wins a grand total of eleven races. In the remaining race, he collects a solid third place after starting from last place on the grid after a spin in the warm-up lap. Despite missing out on winning every race, Max claims his second championship of the year.

As Max turned 11 during the 2008 season, he is able to enter the Cadet category for the Belgian Karting Championship. Again, he wins eleven out of twelve races, in the series that sees youngsters between 11 and 13 years of age compete. Unfortunately, Max was not able to make it twelve out of twelve as technical issues prevented Verstappen junior to contest in one of the races. Not that it would have mattered: Max clinches the title comfortably making it a hugely successful year, winning the three championships he contests in.

Results

• Champion - Belgian Rotax Max Challenge, Mini Max category
• Champion - Benelux Karting Series, Mini Max category
• Champion - Belgian Karting Championship, Cadet category

Unbeatable

In his third year in karts, Max is allowed to step up a category. He now contests the Mini Max class of the Belgian Rotax Max Challange. In this class, all participants drive similar karts, but Max continues where he left off the previous year: winning. In emphatic style, he wins every race on the series' calander and is crowned Mini Max Belgian Rotax Max Challange champion.

On top of the successes in Belgium, Max branches out to the Netherlands where he participates and wins the Mini Max Dutch Chrone race. On top of that, Verstappen junior enters the two rounds of the Rotax Max Dutch championship and wins all the four races that make up the series. He therefore ends 2007 as a double Mini Max champion, both in Belgium and the Netherlands. Even more impressive, the youngster is still unbeaten!

Results

• Champion - Belgian Rotax Max Challenge, Mini Max category
• Champion - Dutch Championship, Rotax Mini Max category

Perfect progression

In his second year in karts, Max proves he is not a one-day fly as he once again dominates the Mini category of the Belgian Karting Championship. Across seven weekends, Verstappen junior wins (all!) 21 races clinching the Belgian title a second time in a row.

Results

• Champion - Belgium Karting Championship, Mini category

Perfect début

At age 7, Max drives his first kart races. As a rookie he participates in the Mini Category of the Belgium Championships organised by the Flemish Autosport Federation. Form the moment the lights go green, Max displays his extraordinary talent. He drives the perfect season clinching win after win. In the rain, the youngster proves to be dominant, resulting in Max becoming the unbeaten Belgium Champion, a few days after his eighth birthday. 

Results

• Champion - Belgium Karting Championship, Mini category

Born to race

Max Emilian Verstappen was born on September 30, 1997 in the Hasselt hospital. Max showed excellent timing as it meant both parents could enjoy the company of Verstappen junior before Jos travelled to Suzuka to contest the Japanese Grand Prix for Tyrrell ten days later.

That Max is born with an extraordinary racing talent does not come as a surprise as Jos is a thoroughbred racer. However, mother Sophie proved a fast driver on the track too, as she beat several F1 drivers in karting events. No wonder Max was spotted at several karting circuits before he was able to walk. Without a doubt, racing is in his blood!

Results