Max Verstappen

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Max Verstappen
Nationality Dutch
Born (1997-09-30) September 30, 1997
Hasselt, Belgium
Related to Jos Verstappen (father)
Sophie Kumpen (mother)
Paul Kumpen (grandfather)
Anthony Kumpen (uncle)
2014 Florida Winter Series
Debut season 2014
Car no. 3
Previous series
Karting 2005-2013

Max Emilian Verstappen(born September 30, 1997 in Hasselt) is a Dutch racing driver. He comes out of a racing driver family. His father Jos Verstappen is a former Formula 1 driver. His mother Sophie Kumpen was a highly successful kart driver. His grandfather Paul Kumpen is a former GT endurance driver.[1] His uncle Anthony Kumpen is a FIA GT and 24 Hours of Le Mans driver.

Career history

Karting

Max started karting at the age of 7. The young driver competed in the Mini Junior championship of is home province of Limburg.[2] The following year Max graduated to the Rotax Max Minimax class. He won the Belgian championship in dominating fashion.[3] He repeated this act in 2007 when he also won the Dutch Minimax championship.[4] Racing in a CRG entered by his father, 2008 was his most successful season yet. The talented Dutchman won the Dutch and Belgian Minimax championship and also the Belgian Cadet championship.[5] [6] For 2009 Max was picked up by Team Pex Racing. Team Pex Racing is a CRG customer team. Verstappen continued to win championships. The young driver won the Flemish Minimax championship and also the Belgian KF5 championship.[7] [8]

2010 was the first year Max Verstappen stepped up to international karting. He was signed by CRG to race in their factory team at world- and European championships. At the KF3 World Cup he finished second to the more experienced Alexander Albon.[9] Verstappen beat Albon at the WSK Euro Series. The Dutchman also won the WSK World Series beating Robert Visoiu.[10] The following year Verstappen won the WSK Euro Series in a Parilla powered CRG.[11] For 2012 Max Verstappen was picked up by the Intrepid Driver Program to race in the KF2 and KZ2 classes. The young driver won the WSK Master Series in the KF2 class beating CRG driver Felice Tiene.[12] The Dutchman also won the South Garda Winter Cup in the KF2 class beating Dennis Olsen and Antonio Fuoco.[13] [14] At the end of the year it was announced Max would leave Intrepid. After a short stint with CRG built Zanardi karts Max returned to the factory CRG team. [15] Max Verstappen competed at the SKUSA SuperNationals in the KZ2 class in a CRG finishing 21st. In 2013 the young talent won the European KF and KZ championships.

Auto racing

Max Verstappen made his first meters in a racing car at the Pembrey Circuit on October 11th, 2013. The young driver drove 160 laps in a Barazi-Epsilon FR2.0-10 Formula Renault car on the first day. The car was provided by Dutch team Manor MP Motorsport.[16] In December of the same year the young Dutchman tested a Dallara F311 Formula 3 car by Motopark Academy. Another Formula Renault test came in December at Circuito de Jerez. Driving for Josef Kaufmann Racing the young driver beat Formula Renault regulars like Steijn Schothorst and Matt Parry.[17] At the Circuit Ricardo Tormo near Valencia the young driver was the quickest of all. The Formula 3 rookie beat more experienced drivers like Tatiana Calderon and Eddie Cheever III.[18]

On January 16th 2014 it was announced that Max Verstappen would make his racing debut in the Florida Winter Series.[19] Here would race some of the drivers who he beat earlier in 2011 like Antonio Fuoco, Lance Stroll and Kasai Takashi.

References

  1. ↑ "Paul Kumpen". Racing Sportscars. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  2. ↑ "Limburgs Kart Championship - Mini-Junior 2005". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  3. ↑ "Rotax Max Challenge Belgium Minimax 2006". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  4. ↑ "Rotax Max Challenge Belgium Minimax 2007". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  5. ↑ "Belgian Championship - Cadet 2008". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  6. ↑ "Rotax Max Challenge Belgium Minimax 2008". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  7. ↑ "Belgian Championship - KF5 2009". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  8. ↑ "VAS Championship - Rotax Minimax 2009". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  9. ↑ "CIK-FIA World Cup - KF3 2010". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  10. ↑ "WSK World Series - KF3 2010". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  11. ↑ "WSK Euro Series - KF3 2011". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  12. ↑ "WSK Master Series - KF2 2012". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  13. ↑ "17° Winter Cup - KF2 2012". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  14. ↑ "SKUSA SuperNationals XVI - KZ2 2012". DriverDB.com. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  15. ↑ "Max rijdt rest van seizoen op CRG kart met TM motor". Verstappen Info Page. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  16. ↑ "Max Verstappen sensationeel in allereerste meters Formule Renault 2.0". RaceXpress.nl. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  17. ↑ "Max op haar na snelste bij laatste FR 2.0 test van 2013". Verstappen Info Page. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  18. ↑ "Max fenomenaal snel bij zijn eerste F3 test op Valencia". Verstappen Info Page. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 
  19. ↑ "Max maakt autosportdebuut in Florida Winter Series". Verstappen Info Page. Retrieved 27 January 2014. 

External links

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