Credits: IMAGO NurPhoto

Three F1 world championships, a record contract with Red Bull that lasts until 2028, and numerous records in F1 make Max Verstappen one of the best drivers in the sport’s history. Currently chasing his fourth consecutive championship win, Verstappen is poised to achieve the feat. While it all seems meant to be, none of it would have been possible if it weren’t for a 4-year-old Verstappen feeling envious of his neighbor and demanding a go-kart from his parents.

Max Verstappen had access to exclusive racing venues growing up in a racing household. Furthermore, his father, Jos Verstappen, wanted his son to become a successful F1 racer and realize his dream of becoming a world champion in the sport. After years of hard work, strict training, and beatings, Verstappen Jr. stands atop the F1 mound.

While all these elements played a significant role in shaping the Dutchman’s career, none of them were as critical as the feeling instilled in him by a neighbor. Quoted on X by user @scuderiafemboy while speaking at the Mobil 1 presentation in China, Verstappen revealed how he got his first-ever go-kart.

“I got my first go-kart at 4 years old. There was a little boy near me who was driving. I envied him, so I asked my parents for a go-kart. I didn’t think it would become my career, and we have been friends for 20 years.”

Once he got his break, Verstappen never looked back. At just 26, the Dutch driver has racked up 57 career F1 wins, putting him in third place among drivers with the most GP wins. Only Michael Schumacher (91) and Lewis Hamilton (103) have more wins than the Red Bull driver. Looking back at his career so far, the stats bear it all. The journey that began when Verstappen was four has taken him to the highest of highs 22 years later.

Max Verstappen was always a racing prodigy

Verstappen’s fascination with vehicles began when he was two and had a quad bike to roam around on. A few years later, a neighbor introduced him to his first-ever go-kart. His father was against the purchase, but relentless pleas and cries convinced Sophie Kumpen to soften up. Hence, the Verstappens bought their son his first kart, setting off an incredible career.

Aged seven, Verstappen won his first race, and two years later, he won his first-ever championship. Winning titles in Belgium and the Netherlands became a habit for Verstappen. At 13, Verstappen secured a hat-trick of WSK titles while still in his rookie year in Europe. Meanwhile, he finished runner-up to Alex Albon in the CIK-FIA World Cup. By the time he was 16, Verstappen was in his final year of Karting, with Red Bull keeping a keen eye on him. He had become the World champion and the European champion, both considered two of the most challenging series in the world of Karting.

The early genius of Max Verstappen was perhaps best told by his CRG team boss, Giancarlo Tinini. He was a crucial figure in shaping Verstappen’s racing life and was there to see a racing genius evolve in real life. Quoted by The Race, Tinini once detailed the one aspect of Verstappen that only a handful of drivers have ever had: “Max has an extraordinary mastery of the vehicle. Few racers can make the difference in the first two laps of a race. He is one of them.”