Who became the World Champion in Formula One racing in 2021?

Max Verstappen (30 September, 1997) is a Belgian-Dutch racing driver. As the son of former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen and karting mom Sophie Kumpen, racing runs through his genes.

He began karting at age four. In 2010, Max stepped up to international karting (road racing motorsports with four-wheeled vehicles known as go-karts).

His first experience in a racing car was at the Pembrey Circuit on 11 October 2013. He drove 160 laps in a Barazi-Epsilon FR2.0–10 Formula Renault car.

In 2014, Max drove in the FIA (Fédération Internationale de l'Automobile; the governing body for auto racing events) European Formula 3 Championship for Van Amersfoort Racing. He finished third, winning 10 races in the process.

Arriving as Formula One's youngest competitor in the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at 17 years old, Max pushed his car, his rivals and the sport’s record books to the limit.

He became the youngest race winner on debut for Red Bull in Barcelona in 2016 – at the age of 18 years – and the first Dutch driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix. Max finished third in 2019 and 2020.

At the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Max got off on pole position poorly and dropped to second place. He was trailing Lewis Hamilton by more than ten seconds until a safety car was called due to a crash. Max pitted in this period and was able to pass Hamilton at turn 5 of the final lap of the race to become the first Dutch driver to win the Formula One World- and Drivers' Championships.