Max Verstappen’s birthday is today! Since his debut at the age of seventeen, the Red Bull Racing driver has grown into one of the best Formula 1 drivers of all time. Here at Page Turbocharged Racing we look back (shortly) back on the career of the Dutchman so far.

Today Max Verstappen celebrates his 28th birthday, a milestone that not only marks a personal party, but also a moment to reflect on a career that is full of records and triumphs. Born on September 30, 1997 in Hasselt, Belgium, as the son of the former Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen and kartkoningin Sophie Kumpen, his path to motor sport seemed inevitable. Already at the age of four he was in a kart, and it was not long before he dominated the European junior cart circuits. In 2013 he won the world championship in the KF class, an achievement that immediately put him in the spotlight. It was the start of a rise that would lead him to the royal class of motorsport: the Formula 1.

His entrance to F1 was downright sensational. In 2015, at the age of only 17, Verstappen debuted for Toro Rosso-the junior team of Red Bull-during the Grand Prix of Australia. He was the youngest driver ever in the Koningsklasse, a fact that the sports world made up. Already in his third race, in Malaysia, he scored his first points, and with that he settled as a phenomenon. The striking aggressive driving style, combined with an unprecedented speed, quickly made him a favorite with fans and a challenge for his competitors. But the real fireworks came in 2016. After five races, he was promoted to the main team Red Bull Racing, to replace Daniil Kvyat. His debut for Red Bull, during the Spanish Grand Prix on the Barcelona-catalunya circuit, ended with an unforgettable victory. With 18 years, 7 months and 15 days, he became the youngest winner ever in Formula 1 history. That victory was no coincidence, but the starting shot of a dominance that would change the sport.

The years that followed formed Verstappen as a complete driver. In 2017 and 2018 he fought to the stage, but it was in 2019 that he took his first pole position in Hungary, followed by a series of strong performance. The breakthrough to the title came in 2021, a season that started history as one of the most intense ever. In an epic duel with Lewis Hamilton, who until then had eight world titles to his name, Verstappen fought for the crown. The final in Abu Dhabi, with that controversial safety car situation, earned him the first world title. It was a moment of euphoria for the Netherlands, where Verstappen grew into a national hero. In 2022 and 2023 he defended his title with force majeure, win 15 and 19 races respectively, and he established records for most victories in a season. Even in 2024, when Red Bull no longer had the absolute dominance, he took his fourth title in a row, an achievement that sets him in one with legends such as Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel.

But 2025 is a year of challenges and surprises. Red Bull started the season with a third place in the constructors championship, behind McLaren and Ferrari, and Verstappen had to do it with a car that was not always the fastest. In the opening race in Australia, he finished second after a fierce battle with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri in wet conditions. The season had peaks and troughs: a sensational victory in the Emilia-Romagna Grand Prix, where he caught up with a breathtaking maneuver on the first round, and a pole position in Japan that is considered one of the best qualifying rounds of all time. “That was pure magic,” said BBC commentator Andrew Benson. Yet Red Bull struggled with balance problems, and Verstappen often finished on stage without the victory, with eight stages and only four wins so far.

However, the last weeks have made a change. With upgrades on the floor of the RB21, Verstappen convincingly won in Italy on Monza, where he set a new record for the fastest lap time in F1 history. A week later a dominant performance followed in Azerbaijan, where he led from pole to flag all 51 laps and had more than 14 seconds ahead of George Russell. These back-to-back victories have reduced the gap with championship leader Piastri to 69 points, with seven more races to go. “Everything should go perfectly,” Verstappen admitted in an interview with Sky Sports, but he does not exclude a title fight. McLaren boss Andrea Stella called him a “threat with capital letters,” and experts such as Eddie Irvine prizes his leadership: “No teammate is coming in his neighborhood.”

Verstappen also blooms on a personal level outside the track. In May he welcomed with his partner Kelly Piquet Daughter Lily, a bright spot in a hectic season. And shortly before the birthday he even won his debut in the GT3 class on the Nürburgring-Nordschleife, driving in a Ferrari 296 with British driver Chris Lulham. Under pseudonym “Franz Hermann” he set an unofficial lap record, which underlines his versatility. “If it has four wheels, I will be soon,” he joked earlier.

Looking back on his career so far, Verstappen is more than a champion; He is an icon that redefines Formula 1. From go -kart track to royal class, from boy to father and four -time world champion – on his 28th birthday we not only celebrate the successes, but also the hunger for more. With the lights of Singapore this weekend in the sights, the Dutchman remains an unpredictable force. Congratulations, Max, and on to many years full of victories.