Wrong guess on Jos Verstappen website: Max makes it to F1 sooner than expected

Max Verstappen celebrates his 24th birthday today, but for years it has been impossible to imagine the sport without him. Born into a true racing family, it was clear from an early age which passion the young Max would develop, and when it later turned out that the talent had been passed on genetically, Formula 1 had a new hero.

A few years earlier

Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut at the age of 17. This record will never be broken again, as the FIA later increased the regulations regarding the minimum age for a driver. The Dutchman is now one of the most popular drivers on the current grid, and has fired up racing fans all over the world with spectacular manoeuvres, memorable victories and legendary moments.

Jos Verstappen's father always knew deep down that his son would make it to Formula 1. This was made clear in the famous interview that father and son had with Holland Sport, but also on the website of Verstappen senior they hinted at an F1 career for young Max. On September 30th 1997, Max' birthdate, the website stated that "if young Max has inherited the racing talent of both his parents, we can expect a new F1 driver for the year 2020." So they were only 5 years off.

#Onthisday in 1997, Jos Verstappen's website announced the birth of @Max33Verstappen and suggesting he'd be an F1 driver by the year 2020. They were wrong. It was 2015 pic.twitter.com/Y1vnngXs8o

— WTF1 (@wtf1official) September 30, 2021