Max Verstappen reveals CRUCIAL F1 career decision

Max Verstappen, Abu Dhabi, 2023, generic — Photo: © IMAGO

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen reveals CRUCIAL F1 career decision

Max Verstappen was held back from karting when he was younger

Shay Rogers

Monday 26 February 2024 21:12

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Max Verstappen has revealed a key decision from his parents that prevented him from racing even sooner at a young age.

The Dutchman is the youngest winner of a Formula 1 grand prix, and participated in a practice session aged just 16.

It’s almost impossible to imagine a 16-year-old driving the F1 cars of today, but such was the rarity of Verstappen’s talents – he did.

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It paid off in spectacular fashion, and he’s now a three-time world champion at the age of just 26, something that can only be bettered by Sebastian Vettel at 25.

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Verstappen held back by father

According to Verstappen himself, he was not ‘forced’ into motorsport, and instead held back by his father Jos Verstappen, who wanted to keep him off the track until he turned six years old.

“That’s a good story!” Verstappen told M4 Sport.

“At the time I saw a kid younger than me driving. He was three, I was four. I was at the track with my mother because my father was racing. I told her I wanted to race a go-kart too!

“She called my dad, who said no, and asked me to wait until I was six. But I didn’t budge, and six months later my mother finally convinced my father to buy me a go-kart.

“I think it’s very important that parents don’t force anything on you. In general, it’s good for a child to play sports, but it’s up to them to choose what they want to do.

“That’s what happened to me. If the parents’ will prevails, the child may not enjoy it and, as a professional, may not appreciate what he does enough.”

If a young Verstappen was allowed to race even earlier, he may have even been on the F1 scene even quicker than occurred.

For Red Bull, he may turn out to be one of their best ever investments, as he continues to dominate the sport and take the grid by storm.