Max Verstappen is considered by many to be the “perfect driver” – perfect control of the car in all conditions, cool calculation after every race, lack of showing emotions – these are just some of the traits that make him often pointed to as a role model. If we add to this his incredible junior achievements and successes in the first seasons in F1, as well as his later dominance in the discipline, we have a recipe for one of the best drivers in history. However, we must not forget that beneath the mask of a ruthless driver there is still a human being who has the right to feelings, mistakes, and doubts.
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Max Verstappen was involved with racing from a young age – both his mother Sophie Kumpen, who competed in junior karting series against, among others, Christian Horner, and his father Jos Verstappen – a Formula 1 driver who raced against Michael Schumacher, among others. Because of this, Max was often at the tracks from a young age, and he first sat in a go-kart at the age of 4, and three years later he was already racing competitively. His incredible potential first awakened in 2013 when he won three consecutive karting championships: two European and one world. The following year he debuted in European Formula 3, and in August 2014 it was announced that he had become a member of the Red Bull Junior Team. His adventure with the junior academy did not last long, as just a few days later it was announced that the Dutchman was promoted to F1 – the Scuderia Toro Rosso team.
Max Verstappen’s path to Formula 1
From the very beginning, Max stood out among other drivers, as evidenced by the fact that he debuted in F1 at just 17 years old. Even then, the driver’s great passion and determination were visible, for whom the only goals were victories. His character was influenced, among other things, by the now-famous upbringing by his father. This topic still divides fans today, and some use terms such as “abuse” or “violence” in this context. Jos Verstappen did not accept failure and expected his son to correct mistakes and be the best every time he sat behind the wheel. For young Max, racing very quickly ceased to be just a passion. It became a test of values – a test of whether he was good enough. In such conditions, it is easy to learn one thing: a mistake is not part of learning but something for which you must bear the consequences. The most famous story regarding controversial methods was when young Verstappen collided with a rival during a karting race, causing him to drop out of the competition, which upset his father so much that he left him alone at a gas station at the age of 15. This made Max enter F1 as an incredibly hardened driver whose ambitions do not allow him to fail.
First seasons in Formula 1
Of course, ambition and talent alone were not enough for victories, as a competitive car was also needed. Scuderia Toro Rosso, as a team under Red Bull, did not have the best car on the grid, so Verstappen’s best results in his debut season were two fourth places – in Hungary and the United States. This secured him 12th place in the drivers’ standings. What distinguished the Dutchman from the rest of the field was his aggressive driving style, which often ended in collisions or penalty points (he collected eight in total during his debut season).
However, the next season brought unexpected twists, as after just four races with Toro Rosso, he was promoted to Red Bull, replacing Daniil Kvyat. He qualified fourth for his first race with the team, but later events – a collision between the Mercedes cars and better strategy from his garage – meant that at 18 years and 228 days old, he became the youngest winner of a Formula 1 race. Throughout the rest of the season, he frequently stood on the podium and ultimately finished in a high fifth place in the overall standings. The 2017 season brought two more wins and one third place, placing him sixth in the drivers’ standings. The following year, he recorded two wins, four second places, and five third places, finishing fourth overall. Although he was still a young driver and such achievements should be considered a huge success, Max still felt unsatisfied. This was mainly because he still did not have a sufficiently competitive car – numerous failures were interspersed with the Dutchman’s aggressive driving, which often caused him not to finish races. In 2017, he failed to finish three races due to incidents in the first laps, and the following year he was involved in at least one clash in each of the first six races of the season – including the now-iconic duel with Daniel Ricciardo in Baku and a scuffle during weighing with Esteban Ocon at the end of the season. Again, many refer to his upbringing under constant pressure to win – in such an environment, every failure is equivalent to a feeling of losing control, which was often visible in Max’s impulsive behavior and radio messages.
However, the next season proved to be a breakthrough for both Verstappen and the entire Red Bull team. Thanks to the partnership with Honda as the new engine manufacturer, the Austrian team became a real threat to Mercedes and Ferrari. In 2019, Max failed to finish only two races, and those he finished were mostly in the top five. Additionally, he won three times, stood on the second step twice, and on the third step four times, ultimately finishing third in the drivers’ standings. The following year was somewhat worse, as he failed to finish five races, but high placements in the others again secured him third place at the end of the season. However, the most important season in Verstappen’s career was yet to come.
Verstappen’s four championship titles
The 2021 season is considered by many to be the best in history. Two giants competed for the title: seven-time world champion Lewis Hamilton, who was racing for his eighth title, and the talented 24-year-old who had been prepared from childhood to achieve the highest goals – Max Verstappen. Over the season, the Dutchman won ten times and finished second eight times, but the Brit was not going to give up easily. Incredible wheel-to-wheel battles, often ending in collisions – the most famous at Silverstone and Monza – meant that both drivers entered the final race with the same number of points. The Abu Dhabi race went down in history for many reasons, but the most important was that Max won the coveted World Championship on the last lap. The joy at Red Bull was immense because at one point in the race they could only count on a miracle, which came with Latifi’s collision, a controversial decision by the stewards, and the Austrian team’s better strategy. Verstappen became World Champion, fulfilling the goal he had pursued since childhood. For him, the title could also have been a moment of release from the pressure that had accompanied him since childhood. However, Max had no intention of stopping and resting on his laurels and continued to prove that he is the best driver (just as he was raised to be). And so, in fact, from that moment began the Dutchman’s hegemony in Formula 1, to which he added three more titles after the one won in 2021.
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Max’s development was enormous – he became a complete driver, far from the boy who was known in the paddock for his aggressive, sometimes excessive, driving. This was confirmed in the following seasons when he began to build his position as one of the best drivers in history. In 2022, he won 15 of 22 races, but true dominance was shown the following season when he finished first 19 times. He also set the longest winning streak, as the Dutch anthem was heard during ten consecutive race weekends. It seemed that Verstappen had finally reached the place he had been prepared for all his life.
The following seasons showed even more the development of a driver who approached competition with greater calm and composure, still aiming high. This was confirmed by the famous race in Brazil in 2024, where due to the need to change the engine and poor qualifying, he started from 17th place. The race was held in very difficult, rainy conditions. Many drivers slid off or went off track, while Max drove lap after lap in an incredible style, ultimately finishing first. The fact that he finished this and the next race ahead of Lando Norris in the standings additionally meant that he sealed his fourth World Championship title in Las Vegas.
Seasons 2025 – 2026 and summary
The past season was bittersweet for the Dutchman. From the very beginning, he was considered a favorite for the title, but he was not the only candidate – among others, Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri, who had an incredible car, were in this group. Indeed, both quickly started to pull away from the rest of the field. At the peak, Piastri’s points lead over Verstappen was over 100 points. However, Max, knowing he had nothing to lose, began to slowly make up the deficit, and his chase from race to race became increasingly impressive. Emotions grew as the Dutchman started winning race after race while the Australian was clearly in a form crisis. Once again, Abu Dhabi was to decide who would become World Champion. This time, luck was not on Verstappen’s side, as despite winning the race, Norris still had more points, sealing the title. Max, however, constantly emphasized that he was surprised to be in the fight at all and intended to enjoy it as much as possible.
This season did not start well for the Dutchman. From the very beginning, he has had to struggle with the car and new regulations (which he often emphasizes in interviews). He was one of the first to speak critically about the current rules in Formula 1, and his attitude led many to speculate that this might be Verstappen’s last season on the grid. However, he denied these rumors, and in the last race weekend, he once again proved that he is a four-time world champion not by chance, as after an exciting battle with Lewis Hamilton, he finally stood on the podium, clearly showing that he will not give up without a fight.
Max Verstappen’s story may be a textbook example for some of how to turn ambition and goals into incredible success. His mentality is considered by many to be a role model – a composed, even cold driver who approaches every competition without emotions, shows no weakness, and relentlessly pursues his set goals. The only question is whether beneath this armor there is still the boy who heard from childhood that he must be the best.
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The author of the article is Aleksandra Binkowska, you can find her on TikTok – link.
