Verstappen grew up in the town of Maaseik on the Belgian-Dutch border. When he began racing professionally, he did so under the Dutch flag. He joined F1 in the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix at the age of 17, becoming the youngest person to ever race in an F1 race weekend, and subsequently joined Red Bull’s junior team. He became the youngest driver to race in a World Championship the very next year.

 

Verstappen has been the reigning World Champion since the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, and has racked up a total of 54 wins in his F1 career, the third-highest in history.