'%20x='0'%20y='0'%20height='100%25'%20width='100%25'%20%0A%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20%20xlink%3Ahref='data:image/jpg;base64,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'%3E%3C/image%3E%3C/svg%3E)
Max Verstappen's mother, Sophie Kumpen, wished him a happy birthday with a heartfelt message on her social media. The Dutchman turned 28 on the 30th of September.
Verstappen has close to a decade of experience in Formula 1, despite his young age. He debuted in the 2015 season with Toro Rosso and managed to win a race as a 18-year-old back in 2016 in his first race with Red Bull Racing. He has stayed with the team since, winning 67 races and four consecutive World Championships.
Many wished him on social media as he turned 28, but one of the wishes stood out from the rest. His mother, Sophie Kumpen, posted him on her story with a heartfelt message.
Trending
"HAPPY B-DAY my sweet son, 28 years of being your mom🫶," she wrote on Instagram.
Verstappen's success has made him one of the most successful drivers to have ever raced in F1. He dominated the 2022 and 2023 seasons with Red Bull and managed to win four championships, as mentioned. He remains a contender for the title in the current season as well, despite his team's initial poor form.
However, his racing portfolio is not limited to Formula 1 anymore, as Verstappen finds himself in a new challenge in GT Racing.
Max Verstappen reacts to winning at the Nurburgring
The Dutchman made his GT3 debut at the Nurburgring earlier in September, piloting the Ferrari 296 under Emil Frey Racing, alongside Chris Lulham. Max Verstappen has spent hours behind the wheel of his racing simulator, which has helped him become familiar with the drivability of GT3 cars, and he is well-acquainted with the Green Hell.
He qualified P3 for the race, but managed to push the #31 Ferrari into the lead shortly after the race started. The incident-filled challenge saw him leading with a massive 50-second lead, which was cut down to a little over 20 seconds after the pit stops. Yet, he managed to dominate the race with Lulham and won on his debut.
"After Qualifying, I knew the car would be good on a dry track. Everything went well in terms of traffic, and we didn’t make any big mistakes. To win my debut race here is amazing," Max Verstappen said after winning (via F1).
Verstappen further revealed that he wishes to participate in the 24-Hour endurance race on the track in the future.
"Of course, we really want to race the 24-hour race, here at the Nordschleife. If that’s going to be next year, I don’t know yet. We need more experience, so hopefully we can enter a few more NLS races next year."
As for his F1 season, Max Verstappen sits in third place in the Drivers' Championship, with a 69-point gap to Oscar Piastri, who has led the table for the better part of the season. Two consecutive victories from Verstappen have made him a contender in the championship as well; however, it would be a major task with just seven races remaining this season.
