Max Verstappen F1 Profile & Career Stats

Max Verstappen F1 Profile & Career Stats
2026 Formula 1 Driver

Max Verstappen

5th in standings | Red Bull driver

Driver Profile

CountryNetherlands Netherlands
Height1.80 meter / 5 feet 11 inch1.80 m / 5'11"
Place of BirthHasselt (Belgium)
Date of BirthSep 30th 1997: 28 years old
FamilyFatherJos Verstappen
Salary$70M/yr est.
Season Entries13 (2015–2026)
Car Number3
Current F1 team Red Bull

Championship Titles

Super Licence Penalty Points

0of 12 points

A clean licence today. Every point on record has run its twelve months.

25 expired points
  • 32025 Spanish F1 GPCar 1 collided with Car 63 at turn 5. Infringement Breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the FIA International Sporting Code.
  • 22024 Abu Dhabi F1 GPCar 1 caused a collision with Car 81 in turn 1. Infringement Breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the FIA International Sporting Code.
  • 12024 Qatar F1 GPImpeding George Russell
  • 12024 São Paulo F1 GPVSC infringement
  • 22024 Mexico City F1 GPForcing Lando Norris off the track
  • 22024 Austrian F1 GPCollision between Car 1 and Car 4 in turn 3. Infringement Breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 d) of the FIA International Sporting Code.
  • 22023 Las Vegas F1 GPCar 1 forced Car 16 off the track at Turn 1. Infringement Breach of Appendix L, Chapter IV, Article 2 b) of the International Sporting Code.
  • 22022 São Paulo F1 GPCausing a collision
  • 22021 Saudi Arabian F1 GPCar 33 braked in a manner which caused a collision with Car 44 in turn 26.
  • 12021 Saudi Arabian F1 GPLeaving the track and gaining a lasting advantage.
  • 22021 Qatar F1 GPFailure to respect double yellow flags.
  • 22021 Italian F1 GPCollision with Lewis Hamilton
  • 22019 Mexican F1 GPFailure to slow for single waved yellow flag in turn 17
  • 22019 Monaco F1 GPUnsafe release
  • 12018 Japanese F1 GPRejoining the track in an unsafe manner
  • 22018 Russian F1 GPFailing to slow for a single waved yellow flag
  • 22018 Italian F1 GPCausing a collision
  • 22018 Chinese F1 GPCausing a collision
  • 12017 USA F1 GPGaining an advantage
  • 22017 Hungarian F1 GPCausing a collision
  • 12016 Mexican F1 GPGaining an advantage
  • 22015 Abu Dhabi F1 GPIgnoring blue flags
  • 12015 Abu Dhabi F1 GPGaining an advantage
  • 32015 Hungarian F1 GPSpeeding under the safety car
  • 22015 Monaco F1 GPCausing a collision

Highest ever: 11 on

All F1 penalty points

Full Career Statistics

Drivers' Titles34
Grand Prix Entries248
Grand Prix Starts248
Total Points23602.50
Avg. Points per GP14.53
Grand Prix Wins371 (28,6%)
Wins from pole337 (14,9%)
Pole Positions48 (19,4%)
Front Row Starts89 (35,9%)
Avg. GP Grid5.1
GP Podiums3134 (54,0%)
GP Fastest Laps37 (14,9%)
GP Points Finish206 (83,1%)
Avg. GP Position3.6
Hat-tricks314 (5,6%)
GP DNFs37 (14,9%)
Total GP Laps13.385
Sprint Starts29
Sprint Wins13 (44,8%)
Sprint Podiums18 (62,1%)
Sprint Points150

Key Career Landmarks

Race2015 Australian F1 Grand Prix2015 AUS F1 GP 117 years, 166 days17y, 166d2026 Azerbaijan F1 GP 28 years, 361 days28y, 361d
Pole2019 Hungarian F1 Grand Prix2019 HUN F1 GP 21 years, 308 days21y, 308d2025 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix2025 UAE F1 GP 28 years, 68 days28y, 68d
Win2016 Spanish F1 Grand Prix2016 ESP F1 GP 118 years, 228 days18y, 228d2025 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix2025 UAE F1 GP 28 years, 68 days28y, 68d
Podium2016 Spanish F1 Grand Prix2016 ESP F1 GP 118 years, 228 days18y, 228d2026 Azerbaijan F1 GP 28 years, 361 days28y, 361d
Fastest lap2016 Brazilian F1 Grand Prix2016 BRA F1 GP 219 years, 44 days19y, 44d2026 Australian F1 Grand Prix2026 AUS F1 GP 28 years, 159 days28y, 159d
Points finish2015 Malaysian F1 Grand Prix2015 MAS F1 GP 117 years, 180 days17y, 180d2026 Azerbaijan F1 GP 28 years, 361 days28y, 361d
Win from pole2019 Brazilian F1 Grand Prix2019 BRA F1 GP 22 years, 48 days22y, 48d2025 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix2025 UAE F1 GP 28 years, 68 days28y, 68d
Hat-trick2021 French F1 Grand Prix2021 FRA F1 GP 23 years, 263 days23y, 263d2025 Azerbaijan F1 Grand Prix2025 AZE F1 GP 27 years, 356 days27y, 356d
Title2021 Abu Dhabi F1 Grand Prix2021 UAE F1 GP 24 years, 73 days24y, 73d2024 Las Vegas F1 Grand Prix2024 USA F1 GP 227 years, 54 days27y, 54d

F1 Career Finishing Positions

1st 71
2nd 41
3rd 22
4th 20
5th 19
6th 12
7th 4
8th 7
9th 6
10th 4
11th 2
12th 1
15th 1
16th 1
DNF 37
DNF Did Not Finish
Stats current as of:

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Bio

Max Verstappen Biography


Max Verstappen (2015)

Max Verstappen (2015)

Red Bull stunned the world of sport when they announced that they had signed 17-year-old Max Verstappen to their Toro Rosso team for 2015.

But what a decision is has proven to be so far. Max Verstappen was fearless, brave and natural as he made quite a statement in his first season.

His daring overtakes are already the stuff of legend, and it was always a question of "when", not "if", he would be a F1 world champion.

The Dutchman is said to be a once-in-a-lifetime driver, but it was still highly ambitious and a massive risk to thrust him into the sport’s limelight at such a tender age.

To put it into context, Verstappen is ten years younger than Sebastian Vettel, and he was only two when Jenson Button made his F1 debut.

Button raced against Max’s father, Jos, who carried the Dutch flag admirably for years. However, his son enjoys a greater reputation already.

However, his display in 2014's Formula 3 championship caught the eye of all the major teams. 10 wins, 16 podiums and seven poles saw him finish third in the championship, and so began a race to sign him.

Red Bull won. Ferrari and Mercedes were interested and will rue missing out. This season and probably every other season he races, Verstappen will be scrutinised more than most.

F1 Debut at 17 years old

Max Verstappen wins his first F1 GP for Red Bull at Catalunya circuit at the 2016 Spanish GP

Max Verstappen wins his first race for Red Bull at Catalunya circuit the 2016 Spanish GP

Verstappen is, obviously, the sport’s youngest ever driver. In his debut season 2015 it had benefited him that his team-mate was 21-year-old Carlos Sainz, another youngster.

Verstappen and Sainz did fight it out to show Red Bull which of them would be their next world champion, and the Dutchman was under immediate pressure to succeed, such is the reputation that has been created around him.

Red Bull says he’s as good as Ayrton Senna, and after being hired at such a young age. After one season, he looks every bit as skilled as the Brazil legend.

In 2016 Max moved just before the Spanish GP from Toro Rosso to Red Bull after Daniil Kvyat crashed for the 2nd time that season. His first race for Red Bull turned out into a fairytale. Both Mercedes drivers collided into each other after 3 corners and Max who qualified 4th on the grid could race to the lead.

The final stages of the race he was under severe pressure by Ferrari driver Kimi Raikkonen. Raikkonen's last win was back in 2013 and didn't score a win since his comeback to Ferrar. The  Dutchman showed his outstanding racing skills and was able to stay in front of the faster Ferrari to win his first-ever Grand Prix at the age of 18!

The whole season Verstappen was growing by the minute and made the races a lot more entertaining. Sometimes he was the only driver who passed other drivers and made the show on his own. The very wet and rainy race in Brazil was his best race that season. He made up the teams bad tyres choice by passing 13 cars in the last 13 laps of the race to finish on the podium. He drove completely other racing lines than the other drivers and engraved his name in F1.

2017 F1 Season

Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton Qualification Mexico GP F1/2017

Sebastian Vettel, Max Verstappen & Lewis Hamilton Qualification Mexico GP F1/2017

In 2017 expectations were high after Max Verstappen's outstanding performance in the last races of 2016. But compared to the Ferrari SF70H and Mercedes W08 the RB13 wasn't quick enough right from the start of the season.

The team did develop their car remarkably well during the season and at the end of the season they even had a quicker car than Ferrari. Verstappen did won 2 races and a total of 4 podiums in 2017, but bad reliability and collisions with Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen limited his performance to a 6th place in the 2017 drivers championship just behind his team mate Daniel Ricciardo.

The Dutch driver did sign a new contract in 2017 to stay for another 2 season at Red Bull Racing, while other top teams also would like to have the hugely talented driver. The 2018 RB14 looked to be a lot quicker and reliable right from the start. They have as always the best chassis Their big Achilles heel is the Renault power unit, that didn't have the party mode, power and reliability of the Mercedes power unit.

In 2018, Verstappen started the year with difficulties, both from the car and with some mistakes from himself. However, after his FP3 crash at Monaco, which did not allow him to participate in qualifying, Verstappen improved a lot and finished the year strongly with two victories,at Austria and Mexico— and a total of 11 podiums. Also, the win slipped out of his hands in Brazil after Esteban Ocon, a backmarker, tried to overtake him and collided with his Red Bull, which forced him to lose the race at the hands of Lewis Hamilton.

The current season has been Verstappen's best in Formula 1. He started the campaign with a podium at Australia, which was Honda's,Red Bull's new engine supplier— first since the 2008 British Grand Prix. He continued to have strong outings and achieved another podium in Spain.

Marko: Leclerc best driver after Verstappen

Race winner Max Verstappen celebrates on the podium as second-placed Charles Leclerc looks dejected in Austria (2019)

In Austria, he gave Honda their first victory since the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix with a stunning display of overtaking in the closing laps and a battle with Charles Leclerc for the win. He gave another show at Silverstone in the following race, but his day did not have the deserved result after Vettel crashed into his car when battling for a podium spot.

Verstappen won at Germany in a tricky race where mistakes were the easier thing to do, but he kept his calm even after a spin and took his seventh Grand Prix win. At Hungary, Max took the first Pole Position of his career and had a strong performance on Sunday. However, Hamilton overtook him after a good strategy for Mercedes paid off with four laps to go.

In 2019, Verstappen has scored 181 points, which is his best tally for any first half of a campaign. Also, he has five podiums and has finished every race inside the top five, a streak that extends to the 2018 Belgian Grand Prix,21 races—.

On the 1st of September of 2019, his streak failed to continue due to a racing incident with Kimi Raikkonen in the first lap of the 2019 Belgian Grand Prix, he went on to finish eighth at Monza, where he suffered grid penalties for exceeding PU elements.

During the 2019 Singapore Grand Prix, at a circuit that was good for the RB15 characteristics, he started fourth and finished third. In the 2019 Mexican Grand Prix, Verstappen did the two fastest laps of Q3 but ignored a yellow flag at the end of his second run and suffered a three-place grid penalty. At the start of the race, he fought with Lewis Hamilton for third place but both went into the grass and lost places. Then, Verstappen overtook Valtteri Bottas but picked up a puncture after a slight touch and had to pit. After the incidents, he finished sixth in the race.

After three races out of the podium positions, he finished third in the 2019 US Grand Prix at Austin. A couple of weeks later, Verstappen took the second Pole Position of his career at the 2019 Brazilian Grand Prix and won the race with a great performance. Verstappen fought with Lewis Hamilton for the lead and had to overtake the British champion twice in the race to take his eighth F1 victory.

With second in the 2019 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Verstappen rounded his best year in Formula 1 by sealing third place in the WDC with his career-high of 278 points.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (33) Aston Martin Red Bull Racing RB16 on track during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 11, 2020

On the 7th of January of 2020, Red Bull announced a three-year contract extension which would keep Verstappen with the team until the end of the 2023 season. The news came in as a pressure-release on the team and the driver, as the 2021 market was expected to produce a big shake-up in Formula 1.

Verstappen was solid in the 2020 F1 season, constantly scoring podiums in usually the second-best car of the grid behind the Mercedes. He won the 2020 70t Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone, where tyres were the main issue and the Red Bull was the best car on that aspect. Max Verstappen managed his car well and won the race in front of Lewis Hamilton. It was his ninth F1 victory.

For the rest of the season, Verstappen ran into some bad luck, but he managed to fight for P2 in the World Championship with Valtteri Bottas until the late stages of the year. Still, he finished third in the standings behind the two Mercedes and added his 10th F1 victory to his resume with a dominant drive at the 2020 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix from Pole Position.

2021 F1 World Champion

The 2021 Formula 1 World Championship saw a year-long battle between Mercedes' Lewis Hamilton and Red Bull's Max Verstappen. The Dutchman won the title in the final race at Abu Dhabi after a late overtake on Hamilton after a late Safety Car period.

Red Bull team would also feel 'robbed' according Albers

The race winners trophy is pictured in front of a pitboard for 2021 F1 World Drivers Champion Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing during the F1 Grand Prix of Abu Dhabi at Yas Marina Circuit on December 12, 2021 in Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)

In 2021 the Red Bull RB16B was at last competitive, and even better than the Mercedes and Verstappen was able to win seven of GP's in the first part of the season. He even was leading the championship for a while. Lewis Hamilton of course was his main rival. Both talented drivers had a lot of great fights on the track and even collided several times.

The first real collision was at Copse corner when Verstappen started from pole at the British GP and had to defend to not lose the lead to Hamilton. In Copse Hamilton made a mistake and turned in too late and hit Verstappen on the rear-left wheel. Verstappen crashed hard into the barrier and had to go to the hospital to have some checks.

The second coming together that ended the race of both drivers was in Italy, when both drivers had a slow pitstop and Max Verstappen ended up with the Red Bull on top of the Mercedes of Hamilton. The Dutchman received a three-place grid penalty the next race in Russia.

Ultimately, Verstappen won the title in the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix after a late Safety Car in the final race of the year. It was a controversial ending to the season due to the mishandling of the Safety Car by the race director, but the FIA upheld the decision and the Dutchman was crowned as the World Champion.

Sprint Race Results 2022 Emilia Romagna F1 Grand Prix

IMOLA, ITALY - APRIL 22: (Photo by Dan Mullan/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202204220566 // Usage for editorial use only //

He won 10 races in the 2021 campaign, recorded 10 Pole Positions and reached 18 podiums (a single-season record).

Dominant in 2022

Max Verstappen won two of the first four races in the 2022 Formula 1 World Championship season. The first one was the 21st of his racing career in F1, at the 2022 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix.

Then, he won the 2022 Emilia Romagna Grand Prix in a wet/dry race for the second consecutive campaign. In the other two races to start the year, Verstappen retired from second place due to mechanical issues, losing valuable points for his championship quest.

After winning the 2022 Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen equaled Juan Manuel Fangio's tally of 24 victories in Formula 1. It was also his fourth win in the first six races of the 2022 racing calendar.

On 12 June 2022, Verstappen won the 2022 Azerbaijan Grand Prix and surpassed Fangio's tally of F1 wins, and tied Jim Clark and Niki Lauda with 25 wins in his career.

LE CASTELLET, FRANCE - JULY 24: (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202207240462 // Usage for editorial use only //

On 19 June 2022, Verstappen won the 2022 Canadian Grand Prix and the Circuit Gilles Villeneuve and took the 26th win of his career, along with Red Bull's 82nd F1 win and the sixth in a row for the team in 2022.

On 8 July 2022, Verstappen achieved the 16th Pole Position of his F1 career.

At the 2022 French Grand Prix, Max Verstappen won for the 27th time in his Formula 1 career, matching Sir Jackie Stewart's tally (which was the all-time record for wins back in 1973 and until 1987).

Verstappen achieved the 28th win of his F1 career after winning the 2022 Hungarian Grand Prix in Budapest. The Dutchman started the race from 10th place after a mechanical issue in qualifying and won a race after starting from outside the Top-4 for the first time in his F1 journey.

On 28th August 2022, Verstappen won the 2022 Belgian Grand Prix with a new personal best in terms of lowest grid position. He won the race after starting from 14th place due to engine penalties. Moreover, it was his 29th victory in the series.

Singapore F1 title win for Verstappen 'not likely' says Marko

MONZA, ITALY - SEPTEMBER 11: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing meets Sylvester Stallone in the garage prior to the F1 Grand Prix of Italy at Autodromo Nazionale Monza on September 11, 2022 in Monza, Italy

In the 2022 Dutch Grand Prix, Max Verstappen recorded his 17th Pole Position to tie Sir Jackie Stewart's tally. It was also his second consecutive Pole Position at home, and he converted it into his 30th F1 win the following day.

The Dutchman won his personal-best fifth consecutive Grand Prix with another comeback drive at Monza. He won the 2022 Italian Grand Prix on 11 September 2022, achieving his 31st win in F1 and tying the tally of wins of the 1992 World Champion Nigel Mansell.

Verstappen had his first chance to become a World Champion in 2022 in the 2022 Singapore Grand Prix, but a team error in Q3 meant that he could not complete a lap that was more than good enough for Pole Position. After that fuel issue with his car, he started the event in eighth place and could only finish seventh after a mistake left him behind late in the event.

In the 2022 Japanese Grand Prix at Suzuka, Verstappen recorded the 18th Pole Position and the 32nd victory of his Formula 1 career.

With a penalized Charles Leclerc finishing third in the race, the Dutchman secured the 2022 World Drivers' Championship with his 12th win of 2022.

The 2022 United States Grand Prix confirmed Red Bull's utter dominance in the 2022 F1 season, with Verstappen winning his 13th Grand Prix of the year (tying the all-time single-season record) and taking the 33rd victory of his career. Surpassing Fernando Alonso's 32 victories, Verstappen reached sixth place in the all-time list of Grand Prix winners.

Moreover, the win sealed the World Constructors' Championship in 2022, giving the team its first since 2013 and its first double since that same season.

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing and The Netherlands during qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Bahrain.

Verstappen established a new single-season record for wins with his 14th of 2022 in the 2022 Mexican Grand Prix, from Pole Position. The win was the 34th of his career.

The Dutchman ended the 2022 F1 season with a win at Abu Dhabi, his third straight at the place and closed out the season with a record of 15 victories in 22 races.

Record for victories in a single year in the 2023 F1 season

Pre-Season Testing suggested Red Bull still had the best car in the grid by some margin, and the RB19 started the season with a tremendous 1-2 in the Bahrain Grand Prix, with Verstappen taking the 36th victory of his F1 career and his first in Bahrain, a day after achieving his 21st Pole Position.

Red Bull was dominant in the second race of 2023 as well, but a driveshaft failure during Q2 meant that Verstappen had to start the 2023 Saudi Arabian Grand Prix in 15th position. However, Verstappen managed to get P2 in the event, behind his teammate Pérez, and achieved his 79th F1 podium.

Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing.

Verstappen won the 2023 Australian Grand Prix on 2 April 2023, reaching his 37th win and 80th F1 podium.

With second place in the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, Verstappen grabbed the 81st podium of his career and continued his run of finishing in the Top 2 in every 2023 race at that point.

The 82nd podium came with a win at the 2023 Miami Grand Prix, which was also his 38th F1 win, tying Sebastian Vettel's record for most wins with Red Bull.

Verstappen achieved his 38th win in 145 races with the team, while Vettel did it in 113 events.

Starting from Pole Position (his 23rd), Verstappen won the 2023 Monaco Grand Prix ahead of Fernando Alonso. The win was his fourth of 2023 and his 39th with Red Bull, the most any driver has won for the Austrian squad.

Verstappen won the 2023 Spanish Grand Prix ahead of Lewis Hamilton for his fifth win of 2023. Then, he followed it up by winning the 2023 Canadian GP on 18 June to reach his 41st F1 win, tying Ayrton Senna's tally of wins in his 171st race.

The Dutchman won the Austrian and British Grands Prix to extend his winning streak to six races, the longest streak of his entire F1 career, which put him at 43 wins in history, the fifth-most.

LUSAIL CITY, QATAR - OCTOBER 08: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates with his team in the Pitlane after the F1 Grand Prix of Qatar at Lusail International Circuit on October 08, 2023 in Lusail City, Qatar.

Verstappen added two more wins to his streak at Hungary and Belgium, reaching 10 wins out of 12 races in 2023, eight consecutive victories and 45 in his Formula 1 career.

Pole Position and victory at his home Grand Prix in the Netherlands gave Verstappen his ninth consecutive win, equalling Sebastian Vettel's F1 record and a third straight win in his home race.

Verstappen's 10th consecutive victory came at the Italian Grand Prix, where he led a Red Bull 1-2 to establish a new F1 record for most consecutive wins. The streak ended at the 2023 Singapore Grand Prix, where the Dutchman was only fifth without the best car and Ferrari won the race with Carlos Sainz.

Still, Red Bull returned to form quickly and the Dutchman won the last seven Grands Prix of the season, with the World Drivers' Championship being sealed in his favor at the 2023 Qatar Grand Prix (during the Sprint race). with six races to spare.

Verstappen finished 2023 with an F1 single-season record of 19 wins. Reaching that number of wins in 22 starts means that Verstappen also set a record for the highest percentage of wins in a single season (86.6%), beating Alberto Ascari's previous F1 record of 75% (six wins in eight races) from 1952.

Dominant car early in the 2024 F1 season, another title-winning campaign

Max Verstappen's Historic Brazil Win Shatters Schumacher Record and Doubters

SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 03: Race winner Max Verstappen of the Netherlands and Oracle Red Bull Racing celebrates in parc ferme during the F1 Grand Prix of Brazil at Autodromo Jose Carlos Pace on November 03, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool // SI202411030467 // Usage for editorial use only //

Red Bull's RB20 started the 2024 F1 campaign looking tremendously in pre-season testing, once again, and Verstappen went on to win the first two races, at Bahrain and Saudi Arabia, from Pole Position.

At Bahrain, Verstappen reached 55 victories in Formula 1, and he added his 56th the following weekend in Saudi Arabia. In those two rounds, Verstappen led a 1-2 for Red Bull.

Moreover, the win in Saudi Arabia was Verstappen's ninth consecutive victory (and 19th in the last 20 races), tying the second-largest streak in F1 history.

Verstappen lost his streak after a mechanical DNF in the 2024 Australian GP, but he followed it up with consecutive wins in Japan and China (including the Sprint in Shanghai).

Apart from reaching 58 F1 wins in China, Verstappen also recorded his fifth Pole Position to start the campaign.

Red Bull's level dropped midway through the season, but it helped the team that other teams were taking wins from each other. Without any other team having a dominant run, Verstappen kept his lead in the WDC into the final rounds.

In Brazil, the Dutchman took arguably his greatest F1 victory, winning in the rain from 17th place on the grid. It helped him get close to sealing his fourth title, which occurred at the following race at Las Vegas on 23 November, 2024.

Verstappen closed out the 2024 F1 season with a win in the penultimate race in Qatar, for his ninth victory of the year. He ended the season with nine wins, eight Pole Positions and 14 podiums

Missing out on 2025 F1 title by two points

Max Verstappen's 2025 F1 season has been regarded as arguably his best season. While the first half included some ups and downs in terms of car performance and even some mistakes from the Dutchman, the second half was brilliant.

While McLaren dominated early in the 2025 F1 season, sharing wins and points between their two drivers, Max Verstappen managed to win a couple of races, at Suzuka and Imola (after a brilliant overtake at the start). Red Bull struggled in some races of the first half, with Verstappen losing points due to his own driving at Barcelona (crashing into George Russell) and a spin behind the Safety Car in the wet at Silverstone.

IMOLA, ITALY - MAY 18, 2025 in Imola, Italy. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

Also, Kimi Antonelli crashing into Verstappen at the start in Austria definitely put the Dutchman on the back foot, as McLaren's drivers continued their run of success, although with some mistakes too.

Verstappen finished the first half with a ninth place in the 2025 Hungarian Grand Prix, falling 97 points behind championship leader Oscar Piastri.

The second half of the year started strongly for Verstappen, finishing second in his home race. Piastri won the event and Verstappen benefited from Lando Norris' mechanical DNF. Losing another seven points to the Australian driver meant Verstappen was 104 points behind.

In Monza, Red Bull's season changed. Verstappen made great use of his car and dominated in Italy and Azerbaijan. Meanwhile, Piastri crashed out in Baku, leaving Verstappen 69 points behind with plenty of points left (seven races and three Sprints).

Verstappen's streak was halted by Mercedes' George Russell in Singapore, but he still beat the McLarens to finish P2. The Dutchman dominated the following events in Austin, winning the Sprint while the McLarens crashed out and also winning Sunday's Grand Prix.

With Piastri only fifth in the Austin race, Verstappen was only 40 points behind and now dominating the field. However, qualifying struggles in Mexico and Brazil didn't help the Dutchman. He finished third in Mexico as Norris won and retook the championship lead.

Also, he was eliminated in Q1 for the 2025 Sao Paulo Grand Prix and the team decided to change the car's setup and give Verstappen a pita-lane start.

From the pit lane and his new setup, Verstappen put up an amazing performance, finishing third and just missing out on second place, but Norris won again.

LAS VEGAS, NEVADA - NOVEMBER 22, 2025 in Las Vegas, Nevada. (Photo by Peter Fox/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

F1 arrived in Las Vegas with Verstappen still third in the WDC, 49 points behind Norris. The Dutchman dominated the event in front of the McLarens, who were later both disqualified for excessive plank wear. The DSQs put Verstappen tied on points with Piastri (366 points) and only 24 behind Norris, with 58 points left.

In Qatar's Sprint, Verstappen lost a point to Norris and three to Piastri, who won.

Piastri then started the Grand Prix at the front and put up a great pace. However, there were two mandatory pit stops for the race, and McLaren did not take the chance to pit under an early Safety Car period. After Lap 7, the field was close with the McLarens leading. However, the rest of the grid only needed to pit once until the end of the race, while the McLarens had to pit twice, under green-flag conditions if another Safety Car didn't come out.

As the remainder of the race went without another Safety Car period, the two McLarens missed out. Verstappen took victory in front of Piastri, while Norris finished only fourth after a late overtake on Mercedes' Kimi Antonelli, who made a mistake and saw Norris through. Those two points proved pivotal for Norris.

Verstappen went to Abu Dhabi in second place and only 12 points behind Norris. The Dutchman needed to win the race with Norris outside of the podium to secure his fifth straight title.

Red Bull and Verstappen dominated the race brilliantly for the Dutchman's grid-leading eighth win of the season. However, Norris won the World Drivers' Championship by finishing third.

Verstappen's eighth win of 2025 gave him his 71st Grand Prix win and his 127th podium.

2026 F1 season

BUDAPEST, HUNGARY - JULY 25: Max Verstappen of the Netherlands driving the (3) Oracle Red Bull Racing RB22 Red Bull Ford Powertrains. (Photo by Sona Maleterova/Getty Images) // Getty Images / Red Bull Content Pool //

Verstappen and Red Bull ran into some early troubles in 2026, with a pace deficit and some reliability issues hurting their chances.

At the 2026 Canadian Grand Prix, Verstappen gave Red Bull-Ford their first podium, finishing third after a good fight with Lewis Hamilton.

After qualifying in the front row for the Monaco GP, Verstappen's car barely moved from the line, causing him to retire from the race. He then finished fourth in Barcelona before fighting for the win on one of his best tracks, the Red Bull Ring, but ultimately settling for second, behind championship leader Kimi Antonelli.

Still, it showed some improvements from Red Bull, although Verstappen spun off at Silverstone due to a suspected failure of Red Bull's "Macarena" rear wing. At Spa. Verstappen finished third on one of his best tracks, too, and he would finish second again at Hungary, closing out the first half of 2026 strongly.

Many rumours throughout the summer break of 2025 and the early part of 2026 linked Verstappen to Mercedes and McLaren, and he had even hinted at a possible retirement.

However, ahead of the 2026 Dutch GP, Red Bull announced on 20 August 2026 that Verstappen extended his contract with the team until the end of the 2030 F1 season.


Official website: https://www.verstappen.com

Helmets

Max Verstappen Helmets


Cars

Max Verstappen Formula 1 Cars


Seasons

Max Verstappen F1 Season Overview


Max Verstappen Championship Results

2021
2021 · the closest of the four, decided by 8 points

4× World Championships2021–2024 · Red Bull

Four titles in four straight seasons.

  • 33rd all-time for championships

Max Verstappen F1 Seasons Summary

YearTeamEngineGP1st2nd3rdPodPoleLapsFLAvg PtsPoints
2026 Austria Red Bull United Kingdom Red Bull1504370693110.87163
2025 Austria Red Bull Japan Honda248521581374317.33416
2024 🏆 Austria Red Bull Japan Honda249411481389318.21437
2023 🏆 Austria Red Bull Japan Honda22192021121325926.14575
2022 🏆 Austria Red Bull Japan Honda2215111771272520.64454
2021 🏆 Austria Red Bull Japan Honda22108018101211617.98395.5
2020 Austria Red Bull Japan Honda17263111795312.59214
2019 Austria Red Bull Japan Honda21324921180313.24278
2018 Austria Red Bull France Renault212451101127211.86249
2017 Austria Red Bull France Renault202114081818.40168
2016 Austria Red Bull
Italy Toro Rosso
France Renault
Italy Ferrari
2114270117619.71204
2015 Italy Toro Rosso France Renault1900000102502.5849
Races
Wins
Podiums
Poles
Sprints
Teammates

Max Verstappen — Frequently Asked Questions

When did Max Verstappen start racing in Formula 1?
Max Verstappen started racing in Formula 1 in 2015.
Is Max Verstappen still racing in Formula 1?
Yes, Max Verstappen is currently competing in the 2026 Formula 1 season for Red Bull.
Who does Max Verstappen race for in 2026?
Max Verstappen drives for Red Bull in the 2026 Formula 1 season.
How many Formula 1 races has Max Verstappen won?
Max Verstappen has won 71 Formula 1 races.
How many F1 World Championships has Max Verstappen won?
Max Verstappen has won 4 Formula 1 World Drivers' Championships (2021, 2022, 2023, 2024).
How many F1 podiums does Max Verstappen have?
Max Verstappen has finished on the podium 134 times in Formula 1.
When did Max Verstappen win their first F1 race?
Max Verstappen won their first Formula 1 race at the 2016 Spanish F1 GP.
What nationality is Max Verstappen?
Max Verstappen is Dutch.
Which teams has Max Verstappen driven for in Formula 1?
Max Verstappen has driven for Toro Rosso and Red Bull in Formula 1.
How many F1 races has Max Verstappen entered?
Max Verstappen has competed in 248 Formula 1 Grands Prix.