Being the child of a former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen, Red Bull driver Max Verstappen had an adequate amount of exposure to the world of motorsports. He joined karting at a very tender age and even acquired his Mini Junior championship soon after.
Verstappen’s association with the Red Bull team goes a long way as he started off as their junior driver in the team in 2014 at the age of 17. He quickly rose in the ranks and gained a name for himself.
The Dutchman became a serious threat to the rest of the drivers on the grid when he won the Malaysian Grand Prix of 2017 at the age of 20. It was the time when Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton was at the peak of his career but young Verstappen managed to push him to the second spot and take the trophy home.
October 1 marks the anniversary of the now reigning world champion’s victory at the race that took place in the Sepang International Circuit.
Happy 6th anniversary of Max winning the Malaysian GP the day after his birthday on October 1st, 2017
GP wishing him a happy 20th birthday on the radio will never not be wholesome pic.twitter.com/moMAvHxvEr
— Matt³³⁺¹⁶ | 🇶🇦LUSAIL🇶🇦 (@FM1_3316) September 30, 2023
It was an emotional moment for the driver and his family and his sister, Victoria Verstappen found herself overwhelmed with emotions as tears rolled down her eyes which was recorded on camera. A few races into the 2016 season, after Daniil Kvyat was replaced which is yet another controversial topic, he had to live up to the expectations of the Milton Keynes-based team, and he did justice to the team that day in the city of Sepang.
When did Max Verstappen win his first F1 race?
In a remarkable turn of events, the Dutch driver won the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix with a dramatic win by fighting off both the Mercedes drivers.
As Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton were involved in a terrible accident on the very first lap of the race, Verstappen seized the opportunity and went ahead and seized the first spot. He was thrust into the spotlight by these unanticipated twists, which resulted in an improbable promotion to the main Red Bull racing team.
🇪🇸 Spanish GP 2016 🏆
🇲🇾 Malaysian GP 2017 🏆Max Verstappen becomes the youngest driver in history to win two F1 races 🙌 pic.twitter.com/piEfcmTmIc
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) October 1, 2017
Being the youngest driver ever to achieve such a feat at the age of mere 18 years and 227 days, Max Verstappen solidified his place in history and still holds the record to date.
Max has impressed senior drivers like Vettel who believes that he is on the path to making history with the dominance he holds over the sport.
After the very controversial Abu Dhabi Grand Prix of 2021, Max Verstappen achieved his first world championship title. It was a turning point for him as well as Mercedes as at that moment, Lewis Hamilton was at the brink of getting hold of his eighth championship win which would set him apart from the legendary driver Michael Schumacher.
