Max Verstappen meets rising karting star and Kimi Raikkonen's son Ace Raikkonen

Max Verstappen met Ace Raikkonen, the son of former F1 driver and world champion, Kimi Raikkonen during the recently concluded Italian GP. Ace Raikkonen is known for his karting skills and is regarded as the next rising star in Motorsports.

In a recent social media post by former Ferrari man Gino Rosato, Verstappen was spotted in a picture with Raikkonen Jr. Rosato, who is regarded as Ace's godfather, uploaded the photo on Instagram, and captioned it:

"@f1, @maxverstappen1, here we come. Future F1 World Champion."

Here is Gino Rosato's Instagram post involving Max Verstappen and Ace Raikkonen:

Credit: Gino Rosato on Instagram.

Max Verstappen met Ace Raikkonen during the Italian GP, a race weekend, where the Red Bull driver was utterly dominant. He claimed the pole position after a stellar qualifying effort on Saturday and went on to win the race comfortably.

Despite initial pressures by Lando Norris, Verstappen carried his RB21 home with 19 seconds to spare. With this, the Dutchman claimed his first win since the 2025 Emilia Romagna GP, and his third win of the season.

Norris finished the race in P2, ahead of his title rival, and teammate, Oscar Piastri. Charles Leclerc and George Russell wrapped up top five. Lewis Hamilton, Alex Albon, and Gabriel Bortoleto came home in P6, P7, and P8, respectively, while Kimi Antonelli and Isack Hadjar completed the Top 10.

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Max Verstappen shared his thoughts after dominant Italian GP win

After claiming the Italian GP at Monza emphatically, Max Verstappen let his feelings known. Speaking to the media, here's what the Dutch driver said:

Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing after the Formula 1 Italian Grand Prix at Autodromo Nazionale di Monza - Source: Getty

“It was a great day for us. Of course Lap 1 was a bit unlucky, but after that we were flying and that was for me really enjoyable."

“We managed the pace quite well throughout that first stint, and I think we pitted at the right time, and with the hard tyres at the end you can push a bit more – they’re a bit more resilient. Fantastic execution by everyone from the whole team. I think the whole weekend we were on it and it’s super enjoyable to win here," Verstappen said.

Thanks to the victory, Max Verstappen reduced the gap to the top two, as he stands in P3 in the Drivers' Championship with 230 points after 16 races and three Sprints. Oscar Piastri is leading the championship with 324 points, followed by Lando Norris in P2 with 293 points.

McLaren is leading the Constructors' Championship with 617 points, and is the firm favorite to claim the title. Ferrari, Mercedes, and Red Bull are fighting for P2 in the Championship.