107-401: The Red Bull Soapbox Race is a soapbox race organised at least once a year by Red Bull . During its final phase, amateur pilots challenge one another by presenting hand-made , motor-less vehicles, judged for their aesthetics, their speed and their road-holding . Originality and extravagance play an even greater role in the competition, as each team is also rated for their showmanship and
214-531: A Barazi-Epsilon FR2.0–10 Formula Renault car. The car was provided by Dutch team MP Motorsport . He tested for several Formula Renault 2.0 teams in 2013. In December 2013, Verstappen tested a Dallara F311 Formula 3 car run by Motopark Academy . An additional Formula Renault test followed in December at Circuito de Jerez . Driving for Josef Kaufmann Racing , Verstappen went faster than Formula Renault regulars like Steijn Schothorst and Matt Parry . At
321-637: A Belgian mother, was born in Belgium and resided in Bree, Belgium , he decided to compete with a Dutch racing licence. He stated he "feels more Dutch", having spent more time with his father than with his mother during his upbringing, and was always surrounded by Dutch people while growing up in Maaseik , a Belgian town at the Dutch border. Verstappen said in 2015: "I actually only lived in Belgium to sleep, but during
428-616: A CRG customer team. That year, he defended his titles in the Mini Max championships and won the Belgian KF5 Championship. Verstappen was signed by CRG to race in their factory team and stepped up to international karting in 2010. At the KF3 World Cup , Verstappen finished second to the more experienced Alexander Albon (who would eventually become his Formula One teammate at Red Bull Racing) but beat him at
535-416: A CRG, finishing 21st. In 2013, Verstappen completed a record-breaking season in karting, having progressed to the senior KF and KZ categories. Aged 15, he won three CIK-FIA championships in a single season: two European Championships and a World Championship ; an unprecedented feat in the history of the discipline. He became the first driver since his father Jos to win two European Championships in
642-548: A Formula Renault 3.5 car. He also considered an offer from Mercedes to join their driver development programme . Verstappen became the youngest driver to start a World Championship race through joining Toro Rosso's race drivers' line-up with Carlos Sainz as his teammate, in his Grand Prix debut as a full-time driver at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix at the age of 17 years, 166 days—breaking Jaime Alguersuari 's existing record by almost two years. In this first race, Verstappen ran in points-scoring positions until he
749-568: A community social activity. The form of the cart is similar to Australian billy cart design. However, the wheels are often motor cycle wheel bearings. In Brazil gravity racers are known as "carrinhos de rolimã." Traditional designs are very minimalistic, with an open board-like body and wheels made up of naked ball bearings (no tyres allowed), usually discarded parts obtained from auto mechanics. The first recorded gravity race took place in 1904 in Oberursel (Taunus) near Frankfurt , Germany. It
856-461: A first-lap collision with Charles Leclerc in Japan , Verstappen suffered his second retirement of the season. In Mexico , he qualified in first place after setting the fastest lap-time of the session, before being handed a grid penalty for ignoring yellow flags after a crash by Valtteri Bottas. Verstappen suffered a puncture early in the race after making contact with Bottas, falling to the back of
963-418: A highly technical thing to achieve especially for the amateur builder, and given that some aerodynamic drag is inevitable, a heavier cart will always do better than a lighter one with the same drag coefficient – its terminal velocity will be higher. For this reason there are usually class weight limits in most controlled forms of the sport. Since some of the potential energy due to gravity must be converted to
1070-825: A move on Nicklas Nielsen in the final race, having won the opening round and pre-final. This was the only championship he failed to win in 2013 whilst completing all rounds. Verstappen won the South Garda Winter Cup in KF2 , as well as the WSK Euro Series and the WSK Super Master Series in KZ1 and KZ2 , respectively. Verstappen's first experience in a racing car was at the Pembrey Circuit on 11 October 2013. He drove 160 laps in
1177-460: A podium in Spain in third place. In Monaco , Verstappen qualified in third place. He was released into the path of Valtteri Bottas during the drivers' pit stops, gaining second place but receiving a 5-second penalty as a result. Verstappen crossed the line in second place but was demoted to fourth by the penalty. In Canada , Verstappen's final lap in the second qualifying session was hampered by
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#17327811834701284-473: A red flag brought out by Kevin Magnussen 's crash. This caused Verstappen to qualify 11th and start the race in ninth place. He later recovered to finish fifth. In France he started and finished in fourth place. In Austria , Verstappen started third but suffered a poor start, dropping down to eighth. After a charge towards the front, he made his way up to second before controversially passing Leclerc for
1391-532: A sister from Jos's second marriage and a brother and sister from Jos's current marriage. His family has a long association with motor sports: his father is a Dutch former Formula One driver, his Belgian mother competed in karting , and his first cousin once removed, Anthony Kumpen , competed in endurance racing and is a two-time NASCAR Whelen Euro Series champion currently serving as the team manager for PK Carsport in Euro Series. Although Verstappen has
1498-458: A spin causing him to fall further down the order. He recovered to eventually finish the race in sixth place. At the next race in Bahrain , he crashed during qualifying and started in 15th place. He had a productive first lap after which he found himself in the points while challenging Lewis Hamilton. He attempted an overtake on the reigning World Champion at the start of lap two, but collided with
1605-571: A successful karting career—culminating in his record-breaking 2013 season —Verstappen graduated to junior formulae . Progressing directly to FIA European Formula 3 , Verstappen broke several records on his way to third in the championship in his rookie season with Van Amersfoort . A member of the Red Bull Junior Team , Verstappen signed for Toro Rosso in 2015 , aged 17, becoming the youngest driver in Formula One history at
1712-399: A suitable slope. Races will usually take place downhill and the most efficient and skillfully driven cart will win – gravity applying equally to all. Gravity racer carts also make great construction projects for children, requiring only an intuitive sense of engineering, and a few basic construction skills. There are also pre-designed kits available, though for many this defeats the purpose of
1819-594: Is a Dutch and Belgian racing driver , currently competing under the Dutch flag in Formula One for Red Bull Racing . Verstappen has won four Formula One World Drivers' Championship titles , which he won consecutively from 2021 to 2024 with Red Bull, and has won 62 Grands Prix across 10 seasons. Born in Hasselt and raised in Maaseik , Verstappen is the son of Dutch former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen and Belgian former kart racer Sophie Kumpen. After
1926-587: Is given to the audience's favorite team. Prize money is also awarded for the best charity entrant - 5,000 Euros for the 2004 Cork race. In 2007, the New York Times contrasted the creative nature of the Red Bull series adult based teams, with the traditional American view of youth based Soap Box Derby, where design options were limited. Reviewing the 2008 Belfast race, the News Letter related that it
2033-415: Is more formally organised, such as for annual Billy Cart Derbys throughout the country organised by community groups such as Cub Scouts , the vehicle may be constructed to either a traditional or professional standard in accordance with rules and regulations set by the organisers to ensure fair and safe competition. In Indonesia gravity racers are also known as 'gokar'. They are raced in different regions as
2140-499: Is typically actuated using a rope connected to the ends of the steerable beam (which can then double as a useful manual pulling device). More sophisticated steering methods are sometimes seen. Brakes are also commonly used, and most soap-box cart racing contests require these. Often a simple friction brake operated by a lever which bears on one of the tyres is all that is required under the rules. Gravity racer carts are unpowered, and are either pushed by willing helpers, or are run down
2247-563: Is usually made of steel, and has 4 wheels, arranged as a fixed rear axle , and a steerable front beam axle – usually with a very simple single central pivot . A seat is arranged at the back, and perhaps the seat area is enclosed, as in the original soap-box design. More sophisticated designs might employ a fully enclosed body. The types of wheels employed vary according to what can be obtained easily – wheels from baby carriages, pushchairs, prams, and discarded bicycles being common. Ready-made wheels are also available from hardware suppliers. Steering
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#17327811834702354-765: The Evening Standard described the series as a global phenomenon. Reviewing the 2015 Montreal event, the Montreal Gazette said the races were not for the faint hearted, even for spectators. Gravity racer A gravity racer or soapbox car is a motorless vehicle which is raced on a downhill road either against the clock or against another competitor. The vehicles are propelled by gravity . Originally, gravity racers were built from wooden soap (or apple) crates and rollerskate wheels, but have grown more sophisticated over time, with materials like aluminium, fiberglass and even CFRP being used. In
2461-511: The 100 most influential people globally , and was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in 2022. Max Emilian Verstappen was born on 30 September 1997 in Hasselt , Belgium to Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen [ nl ] . Verstappen's parents separated when he was young, after which he lived with his father. His younger sister, Victoria, lived with their mother. Verstappen has three younger half-siblings from his father:
2568-463: The 2019 and 2020 World Drivers' Championships under Honda power . After winning 10 Grands Prix during the 2021 season—overtaking Lewis Hamilton on the last lap of the last race of the season —Verstappen won his maiden title, becoming the first World Drivers' Champion from the Netherlands and the 34th overall . Verstappen won the next two championships in 2022 and 2023 , overturning
2675-578: The Australian Grand Prix . Following several points finishes in his debut season, Verstappen retained his seat for 2016 before being promoted to parent team Red Bull after four rounds. On debut for Red Bull, aged 18, Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix , becoming the youngest-ever driver to win a Formula One Grand Prix . Verstappen achieved multiple race wins in his 2017 and 2018 campaigns, before finishing third in both
2782-521: The Bahrain Grand Prix , Verstappen topped all the practice sessions and subsequently took a career fourth pole position. This was the first time he achieved back-to-back pole positions. He fought Lewis Hamilton for the race victory, and on lap 53 Verstappen overtook Hamilton, but went off track whilst doing so, resulting in him being instructed by race control to let Hamilton back into the lead and ultimately finishing second behind Hamilton. At
2889-887: The Catterline Cartie Challenge in Scotland and the Belchford Downhill Challenge in Lincolnshire, and there are now several dozen known races across the UK. An annual Soap Box Derby has taken place in mid-July at Richard's Castle on the Shropshire/Herefordshire border since 2004. In addition to the local community races, there are a small number of races which attract more serious competitors, such as Cairngorm Soapbox Extreme (held at Cairn Gorm from 2009 to 2012) and
2996-519: The Circuit Ricardo Tormo near Valencia , Verstappen set a faster lap time than the more experienced driver Eddie Cheever III . On 16 January 2014, it was announced Verstappen would make his racing debut in the non-championship Florida Winter Series . On 5 February, at the second race weekend, Verstappen won the race at Palm Beach International Raceway after he started from pole. A few weeks later, Verstappen won his second race of
3103-586: The Emilia Romagna Grand Prix , Verstappen looked set to claim second due to Valtteri Bottas ' ailing Mercedes slowing down, but a sudden puncture denied him any chance of a podium finish; Verstappen spun, resulting in his fourth retirement of the 2020 season. During Free Practice for the Portuguese Grand Prix, Verstappen was criticised for comments he made on the team radio after a collision with Lance Stroll , where he used
3210-623: The Lotus 119c and the Formula Gravity VXR Nimbus. In Australia, Billy carts tend to conform, even in the 21st century, to a more traditional or rudimentary specification which rose to prominence throughout the country in the late 1800's and early 1900's, often constructed by juveniles from scavenged or relatively inexpensive materials. These carts are built with minimal adult input and used in backyards, suburban streets or local parks. However even when construction of vehicles
3317-652: The Malaysian Grand Prix onward, Verstappen enjoyed a surge of success. He won his second Formula One race at the 2017 Malaysian Grand Prix, a day after his 20th birthday, passing then three-time champion Lewis Hamilton for the lead in the early stages of the race. He finished second in the following race in Japan . He then finished third at the United States Grand Prix, but was classified fourth after his final lap overtake on Kimi Räikkönen
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3424-662: The Renault team for 2019, Verstappen was joined at Red Bull by Pierre Gasly . Verstappen qualified in fourth and finished third in Australia , the first podium finish for a Honda -powered driver since the 2008 British Grand Prix . Verstappen was on course for a second third-place finish in Bahrain before a late safety car prevented him from overtaking Charles Leclerc's ailing Ferrari, keeping him in fourth place. Two more fourth-place finishes followed in China and Azerbaijan , and
3531-604: The Styrian Grand Prix and led the race from start to finish, to give him his fourth win of the season and further extend his lead to 18 points. Verstappen took pole position at the Austrian Grand Prix , led every lap from start to finish, set the fastest lap, and won the race for his first career grand slam , being the youngest to do so. With the win, Verstappen also became the first driver to win three races in three consecutive weekends, starting at
3638-749: The United States Grand Prix . At the end of the season, Verstappen received three awards at the FIA Prize Giving Ceremony , for "Rookie of the Year", "Personality of the Year" and "Action of the Year", for his overtake on Felipe Nasr on the outside of the Blanchimont corner at the Belgian Grand Prix . Verstappen began the 2016 season at Toro Rosso, again alongside Sainz. Verstappen qualified fifth for
3745-676: The WSK Euro Series and also won the WSK World Series, beating Robert Vișoiu . He finished fifth in the European Championship and won the WSK Nations Cup as well as the final of the Bridgestone Cup where during a 28 laps' race in the rain he beat Dennis Olsen by over 11 seconds. In 2011, Verstappen won the WSK Euro Series ahead of Esteban Ocon in a Parilla -powered CRG kart. However, it
3852-752: The WSK Euro Series . He was the youngest driver taking part in the World Championship in KF1 class and finished eight. In July 2012, it was announced that Verstappen would leave Intrepid. After a short stint with CRG-built Zanardi karts, Verstappen returned to the factory CRG team. He finished second at the World Cup in the KF2 class and competed at the SKUSA SuperNationals in the KZ2 class in
3959-517: The emergency measures taken in response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the country. Still, the seventy selected projects were rated and awarded by the deputed jury in October of the same year. The vehicles must have steering and braking capability. Teams are judged on both the time taken to complete the course, as well as creativity of their design and the showmanship of a performance at the start of
4066-441: The kinetic energy of the rotating wheels, a vehicle with lighter wheels will accelerate faster than one with heavier wheels. If a race is started on some form of ramp, having a tail-heavy car can also improve final acceleration, as the effective height of the centre of gravity of the vehicle is raised. Max Verstappen Max Emilian Verstappen ( Dutch pronunciation: [ˈmɑks fɛrˈstɑpə(n)] ; born 30 September 1997)
4173-455: The 2019 season in third place in the championship with 278 points. He claimed three race victories, nine podium finishes, two pole positions, and three fastest laps. Verstappen continued to race for Red Bull in 2020 , alongside Albon. At the 2020 Austrian Grand Prix , he started second, but retired early in the race after a flywheel-related problem caused an electronic issue within the power unit. Honda introduced countermeasures in response to
4280-792: The Championship. At the Russian Grand Prix , Verstappen finished the race in second, his seventh podium finish of 2020. At the Eifel Grand Prix , Verstappen finished in second after qualifying in third. He also managed to get the fastest lap of the race. At the Portuguese Grand Prix , Verstappen qualified third, however a poor first lap meant that he dropped back down the order to fifth place. He recovered to third and took his 40th podium in Formula 1. At
4387-481: The FIA to disallow moving under braking. At the 2016 Brazilian Grand Prix , Verstappen qualified fourth. In a rain affected race, he almost hit the barrier after he slid on the main straight due to a loss of traction, causing oversteer . After an additional tyre change from intermediates back to rain tyres, he ran in 16th place with just 15 laps remaining. Verstappen then made several overtakes in quick succession during
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4494-793: The French Grand Prix on 20 June, then the Styrian Grand Prix on 27 June and ending with the Austrian Grand Prix on 4 July. At the next race; the British Grand Prix , Verstappen was involved in a high-speed collision at the Copse corner with Hamilton on the first lap. This resulted in a 51 g impact with the barrier. He was taken to the Silverstone circuit's medical centre after the crash and
4601-628: The Kemmel straight. Verstappen was criticised for his driving, with Räikkönen saying that he was "going to cause a huge accident sooner or later." Christian Horner noted that the driving was "on the edge", and that Verstappen will "look at it and learn for future races." In September, Formula One director Charlie Whiting called in Verstappen for a discussion, and later gave him a 'gentle warning' due to his aggressive driving. However, in October, drivers' concerns about Verstappen's defensive tactics led
4708-629: The London race. In a Monopoly -themed run, they threw around £1,000 into the crowd. The winners of events receive a trophy and various special prizes, such as a trip to the Macau Formula 3 Grand Prix to meet Carlos Sainz (Hong Kong 2012), a tour of the Red Bull Racing Factory, including a high performance track day (London 2013). In the 2007 Providence race, the three highest scoring teams received trips. A People's Choice Award
4815-505: The Mercedes driver and suffered a puncture that ultimately led to suspension damage, forcing him out of the race. At the next race in China , Verstappen qualified fifth and had moved up to third at the end of the first lap. Both Red Bull drivers pitted for fresh tyres during a safety car which left them with a tyre advantage over the front-runners ahead. In an overtake attempt on Sebastian Vettel for third place, Verstappen collided with
4922-472: The Sakhir circuit. On 5 May 2016, following the Russian Grand Prix , Red Bull Racing announced that Verstappen would be replacing Daniil Kvyat from the Spanish Grand Prix onwards, with Kvyat returning to Toro Rosso. According to Red Bull Team Principal Christian Horner , "Max has proven to be an outstanding young talent. His performance at Toro Rosso has been impressive so far and we are pleased to give him
5029-677: The US to hold soap box car races and send a champion each to Dayton for a major race, later held in Akron . Scott later went on to work for Chevrolet . In the UK gravity racer derbies have recently become more popular, brought to the masses by large events such as the Red Bull Soapbox Race and that held between 2000 and 2004 at the Goodwood Festival of Speed . Now, many small hilly communities organize their own races, such as
5136-619: The United Kingdom a gravity racer car has been called a buggy , trolley , cart . It is currently popularly called a soapbox . In Scotland and northern England it has also been called a bogie , cartie/cairtie , guider or piler . In Wales it is often referred to as a gambo . In Australia they are called billy carts , and in Brazil it is known as rolimã . In addition to being built by children, there are organised competitions and races ("soapbox or billycart derby") that often engage
5243-589: The Worlaby Downhill Challenge. These races tend to produce higher speeds than the community races. Gravity racers taking part in Cairngorm Soapbox Extreme in 2011 reached speeds of 70 mph. A gravity racer obtains its energy solely from the force of gravity (assuming no starting push is permitted), which is effectively equal for any combination of racer design and course. However, performance can be greatly affected by
5350-468: The advantage of faster tyres, allowing him to overtake Verstappen with several laps remaining in the race. Hamilton took the victory, with Verstappen taking second and the fastest lap, increasing Hamilton's championship lead to 14 points. At the next race in Monaco , Verstappen qualified second behind Charles Leclerc , but Leclerc suffered a driveshaft failure on the way to the grid and was unable to start
5457-407: The back of Lance Stroll during the virtual safety car period, causing minor front wing damage. In Monaco , Verstappen made another error and crashed near the end of the third free practice session in an incident which closely resembled a crash he had at the same spot two years earlier . His team could not repair his car in time for qualifying and Verstappen had to start the race from the back of
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#17327811834705564-504: The back of Grosjean's Lotus on the approach to the tight first corner, Sainte Devote, and crashed into the barriers at high speed. Verstappen was given a five-place grid penalty for causing the accident, and was branded "dangerous" by Williams driver Felipe Massa . Verstappen continued to regularly finish in the points as well as achieving his best finish of the 2015 season in Hungary by finishing fourth, and equalled this result at
5671-479: The back of Verstappen during an overtake attempt from which the Dutchman aggressively defended, causing the retirement of both cars. Both drivers were blamed by the team and reprimanded by the stewards. Verstappen bounced back in Spain with his first podium of the season by finishing third behind the Mercedes drivers, holding off Sebastian Vettel . However, the race was also not without incident as he had run into
5778-407: The championship leader, causing him to fall to eighth and receive a 10-second penalty. He recovered to fourth place, with his penalty causing him to be classified fifth. Teammate Ricciardo went on to win the race. In Azerbaijan , Verstappen was embroiled in a race-long battle with Ricciardo for fourth place. After numerous position changes between the two teammates during the race, Ricciardo ran into
5885-418: The closing laps by Hamilton, who had made another stop for fresh tyres in a gamble to catch the leader. Before the Belgian Grand Prix , Verstappen received a new teammate in Alexander Albon after Pierre Gasly was demoted back to Toro Rosso. In the race, Verstappen had a poor start and collided with Kimi Räikkönen at the first corner, resulting in suspension damage and causing Verstappen's first retirement of
5992-409: The closing laps to eventually finish on the podium in third place. He received considerable praise for his performance: rival team Mercedes' team principal, Toto Wolff , labelled it "The Verstappen Show", and described Verstappen's drive as "physics..being redefined". However, Verstappen came under criticism from four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel, who stated that Verstappen had pushed him off
6099-437: The combined effects of various forms of drag and also the moment of inertia of the wheels, and also of course by the skill of the driver in choosing optimal lines. Drag breaks down into aerodynamic drag and rolling resistance . The latter can be minimised by careful attention to the wheel bearings , tyre sizes and pressures, and brakes (to avoid parasitic brake drag). High tyre pressures and narrower tyres will typically lower
6206-447: The day I went to the Netherlands and had my friends there too. I was raised as a Dutch person and that's how I feel." In 2022, however, Verstappen stated that he appreciates both sides and is "half-half at the end of the day". He competed in Formula One for more than a season before obtaining a road driving licence on his 18th birthday. Verstappen moved to Monaco the day after, in October 2015, and has lived there since and has said it
6313-443: The end of the race. Verstappen won the 70th Anniversary Grand Prix at Silverstone , having started from fourth. Verstappen clinched second place at the Spanish Grand Prix , after qualifying in third. At the 2020 Belgian Grand Prix , he scored a podium in third place, following his third place on the starting grid. He suffered from two consecutive DNFs at the Italian and Tuscan Grands Prix after which he lost second place in
6420-439: The enthusiasm of adults. However, these are usually entered into in a spirit of fun rather than serious competition. Often they will be fundraisers for charity. Many, but not all, events impose the following rules: Soapbox cars weigh an average of 150 pounds (68 kg) and reach top speeds of 20 to 30 mph (30 to 50 km/h). Many cities have permanent tracks where drivers compete for prizes. A typical gravity racer cart
6527-451: The event better the following year, when two different editions were held in Brazil : the first one took place in Fortaleza on June 8, while the second one was organized in Porto Alegre on September 21. The circle was completed between 2012 and 2013, with three subsequent editions being organized in the same number of Asian countries: China (although the event was hosted in Hong Kong ), India and Oman . Currently, 2017 has featured
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#17327811834706634-401: The exercise. Recently, more advanced gravity racers are beginning to emerge. These, intended for competition in the major soapbox races, are sometimes made of carbon fibre and feature a monocoque design, although most use a more traditional chassis or spaceframe design with bodywork made from materials such as plywood , corrugated plastic or similar. Examples of such soapboxes include
6741-405: The fastest lap of the race. The following race in France brought him second place. In Austria —Red Bull's home track, he started fourth on the grid, passed Kimi Räikkönen before taking advantage of retirement from Valtteri Bottas and a botched pit-stop strategy by Lewis Hamilton, who later had to retire from fourth place, to claim the fourth race victory of his career. In Britain , Verstappen
6848-443: The field before eventually recovering to sixth place. A third-place finish in the United States followed, before Verstappen took the second pole position of his career with a 1:07.508 pole lap time in Brazil . In a chaotic race, he passed Lewis Hamilton for the lead on two occasions before going on to claim his third victory of the season. Verstappen ended the season with a second-place finish in Abu Dhabi . Verstappen finished
6955-412: The first lap allowed Hamilton to take the lead which Verstappen retook during the pit stop phase. Verstappen pitted for a second time from the lead and set after the Mercedes duo, overtaking Hamilton for the lead on lap 52 of 53. He also took the fastest lap point, extending his championship lead to twelve points and achieving the first hat-trick of his career. Verstappen clinched pole position again at
7062-553: The grid. Verstappen did not compete and did not set a lap time in qualifying, therefore teammate Ricciardo pressed home Red Bull's advantage at the track by taking pole position and the race win. Verstappen managed to salvage two points by finishing ninth place, overtaking six cars on track. Team principal Christian Horner commented on Verstappen's start of the season, saying he "needed to stop making these mistakes" and that he could "learn from his teammate", while Helmut Marko , head of driver development at Red Bull, said that Verstappen
7169-415: The largest amount of races, with eleven different races taking place between Europe, North America and Asia throughout the year. 2020 actually featured just one edition of the race, held in Santiago (the third time overall, as the Chilean capital city had already hosted the event in 2011 and 2016) on March 14. The second one was set to be held in Florence, Italy on June 7, but was later cancelled due to
7276-434: The largest points deficit in Formula One history in the former and breaking numerous records across both seasons. He secured his fourth consecutive title in 2024 after winning eight Grands Prix, including a widely acclaimed wet-weather performance in São Paulo . As of the 2024 Las Vegas Grand Prix , Verstappen has achieved 62 race wins, 40 pole positions, 33 fastest laps and 111 podiums in Formula One. In addition to being
7383-499: The later stages of the race to take his first Formula One victory. By doing so he displaced Sebastian Vettel as the youngest driver ever to win a Formula One Grand Prix at the age of 18 years and 228 days. In his first eight races with Red Bull, he achieved six top-five finishes, including four podiums. During the Belgian Grand Prix , Verstappen collided with Räikkönen at the first corner, pushed Vettel, Räikkönen and Pérez wide at Les Combes , and aggressively blocked Räikkönen on
7490-409: The lead of the race with three laps to go. This marked the first Honda-powered race victory since the 2006 Hungarian Grand Prix . In Britain , Verstappen, running in third place, was hit from behind during an overtake attempt by Sebastian Vettel and spun into the gravel. Verstappen was able to continue and crossed the line in fifth place. The wet and chaotic German Grand Prix began similarly to
7597-407: The next race, the Emilia Romagna Grand Prix , Verstappen qualified third with teammate Sergio Pérez second, marking the first time he was out-qualified by a teammate since the 2019 Italian Grand Prix . At the race start, Verstappen was able to pass both Pérez and pole-sitter Lewis Hamilton to take the lead. He remained in the lead after the first round of pit stops as well as the restart, following
7704-565: The only African nation to have held the soapbox race. The competition first arrived in the United States in 2006, when a new edition was held in St. Louis, Missouri : ever since, a total number of seventeen races have taken place throughout the country. In 2007, the race spread to the Caribbean for the first time, as Jamaica hosted a new edition. Instead, South America first got to know
7811-472: The opening laps before Verstappen took the lead by way of a faster pitstop. Verstappen would comfortably hold the lead until lap 46 when he suffered a tyre failure causing him to crash at high speed and retire. A mistake by Hamilton on the restart dropped him to last place, meaning Verstappen maintained his championship lead. Verstappen took pole for the French Grand Prix . Verstappen's mistake on
7918-454: The opening race of the season in Australia , but during the race made several radio calls to his team due to frustration at being behind Sainz on track before Verstappen's Toro Rosso came into contact with his teammate's car whilst attempting to pass him with three laps to go, and he eventually finished tenth. Verstappen enjoyed a more successful weekend at the following race in Bahrain , finishing sixth to score Toro Rosso's first-ever points at
8025-500: The opportunity to drive for Red Bull Racing." After qualifying fourth for the Spanish Grand Prix, Verstappen rose to second behind teammate Daniel Ricciardo on the opening lap after Mercedes teammates Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg crashed out of the race. Verstappen took the race lead as he was placed on a two-stop rather than the same three-stop strategy as Ricciardo, and he held off Ferrari 's Kimi Räikkönen in
8132-419: The overall rankings. During the first practice session at the 2014 Japanese Grand Prix , Verstappen replaced Jean-Éric Vergne as part of his preparation for a full-time seat at Toro Rosso in the 2015 season. Aged 17 years and three days, Verstappen was the youngest person in history to participate in a Formula One race weekend. In August 2014, Verstappen joined the Red Bull Junior Team after testing
8239-515: The primary focus on the most creative and entertaining side of the competition. The inaugural event was held in Brussels, Belgium on April 30, 2000. Races have since been held all across the globe, covering every single continent at least once, excluding Antarctica. The first race out of Europe took place on March 30, 2003, when the sixth edition ever was organized in Auckland, New Zealand : this
8346-616: The qualifying session at the Mexican Grand Prix , Verstappen revealed that a mechanical problem with his Red Bull under braking cost him any chance of becoming the youngest-ever Formula One pole-sitter. As a result, Ricciardo beat Verstappen to pole position by just 0.026 seconds. Verstappen had a better start than Ricciardo and took the lead of the race into the first corner, overtaking the fast-starting Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton. Verstappen earned his fifth career win in Mexico. He
8453-432: The race being suspended on lap 33. Rival Hamilton finished second, reducing his championship lead over Verstappen to one point. In the following Portuguese Grand Prix , Verstappen finished second after a long battle with Lewis Hamilton. At the Spanish Grand Prix , the battle between Verstappen and Hamilton continued, with Hamilton employing a faster two-stop strategy versus Verstappen's one-stop race. This provided Hamilton
8560-459: The race in Austria for Verstappen, as a poor start caused him to fall behind. However, he would inherit the lead midway through the race after a crash by race leader Hamilton. Verstappen would go on to extend his lead after the track began to dry, claiming his second victory of the season. In Hungary , he claimed the first pole position of his career and led most of the race before being passed in
8667-572: The race, Verstappen pushed the Force India driver, for which he was given two days of "public service" as a penalty by the FIA. He then finished his season with another podium as he finished third in Abu Dhabi. Verstappen ended the season in fourth place in the championship with 249 points, claiming two wins, eleven podium finishes, and two fastest laps. In 2019 Red Bull switched from Renault to Honda power units. After Ricciardo moved to
8774-475: The race, meaning the team with the fastest time is not necessarily the winner. In the 2013 London race, one team reached a speed of over 50 kilometers per hour as they completed the 430 metre course in 33 seconds. The Cork 2004 course down St. Patrick's Hill was the steepest ever used at the time. In 2008, a team from Queen's University Belfast set the world speed record for soapbox racers at Stormont, Northern Ireland, at 72 km/h (45 mph), before entering
8881-617: The race. Verstappen controlled the race from the front on the way to victory. Hamilton (who qualified seventh) finished seventh, though claiming an extra championship point by setting the fastest race lap. The result enabled Verstappen to take the lead in the Drivers' Championship for the first time in his career, by a margin of four points over Hamilton. At the Azerbaijan Grand Prix , Verstappen qualified third behind Leclerc and Hamilton. Verstappen and Hamilton passed Leclerc in
8988-413: The retirement. At the 2020 Hungarian Grand Prix , he crashed in wet conditions during the formation lap while he was on his way to the starting grid, but he was able to drive the car back to the grid where his mechanics fixed the suspension of the car in the short time that was left before the start of the race. After the repairs, Verstappen progressed from seventh place on the grid to second place by
9095-734: The same category. In 2006, he repeated his success. In 2007, Verstappen graduated to the Rotax Max Mini Max class and won the Rotax Max Challenge Belgium and the Dutch Championship in that category. In 2008, racing in a CRG kart entered by his father, Verstappen won the Belgian Cadet Championship, as well as the Rotax Max Challenge Belgium and Benelux Karting Series in Mini Max class. In 2009, Verstappen joined Pex Racing,
9202-499: The same season, and the first to do so in both the primary direct-drive and gearbox classes. By winning the 2013 KZ World Championship at Varennes-sur-Allier , beating Charles Leclerc to the title, Verstappen became the youngest-ever driver to win the gearbox World Championship. Further adding to his accolades in 2013, Verstappen also finished third at the KF World Championship despite being disqualified for
9309-509: The season. In Italy , he did not set a time during qualifying after his car lost power in Q1, but he was already required to start from the back of the grid due to an engine component penalty. After damaging his front wing on the first lap, he recovered to finish the race in eighth place. Third and fourth-place finishes followed in Singapore and Russia respectively. After suffering damage in
9416-520: The series at Homestead–Miami Speedway after beating Nicholas Latifi by 0.004 seconds. Following his single-seater debut in the inaugural Florida Winter Series, Verstappen drove in the FIA European Formula 3 Championship for Van Amersfoort Racing . Aged 16, Verstappen scored a record six consecutive victories in the series, and a record ten victories in total, along with eight retirements and one DNS (did not start); placing third in
9523-462: The soapboxes are often inspired by folklore , pop culture , motorsport or everyday-life themes in their creation. Some notable examples include Pokémon -based karts and playful reproductions of the Popemobile or Mr. Bean 's Mini . First held in 2000, over a hundred races have been held in multiple countries around the world ever since, usually attracting thousands of spectators and putting
9630-525: The track at the Junção corner late in the race. The race stewards did not share Vettel's view and decided that no reprimand was warranted. During the first 14 races of the 2017 season, Verstappen suffered seven retirements, four due to mechanical issues, and three due to first lap collisions in Spain , Austria and Singapore . Of the races he finished, however, he claimed a third place in China , and in another five races he finished fourth or fifth. From
9737-436: The tyre contact rolling resistance, usually at the expense of grip. Larger wheels have lower rolling resistance than small ones, and rolling resistance is also proportional to overall weight. If permitted, a 3-wheeler design will have 25% less rotational inertia than a 4-wheeler, all else being equal. Aerodynamic drag can be minimised by designing a fully enclosed body that reduces the drag coefficient , but given that this can be
9844-513: The vehicle, Equmes 1, into the Red Bull race at Stormont later in the week. On May 16, 2015, the Dutch racing driver Max Verstappen , a Formula One driver for the Red Bull racing team himself, opened the race in Valkenburg, Netherlands , driving a soapbox that resembled his own STR10 racing car. On 7 July 2019, YouTubers Zac Alsop and Jamie Rawsthorne of "The Zac and Jay Show" entered
9951-686: The words "retard" and "mongol" in response to the clash. Verstappen admitted following the session that the word choices he used were "not correct". The Mongolian government and the Mongol identity asked Verstappen to apologise for the comments; the Mongolian government also urged the FIA to take action on the comments he made. Verstappen finished the 2020 season in third place in the championship with 214 points. He claimed two race victories, eleven podium finishes, one pole position, and three fastest laps. At
10058-415: The youngest Grand Prix winner, he holds several Formula One records , including the most wins in a season (19), the most podium finishes in a season (21), the most consecutive wins (10), and the most consecutive pole positions (8, shared with Ayrton Senna ). Verstappen is set to remain at Red Bull until at least the end of the 2028 season. Verstappen was listed in the 2024 issue of Time as one of
10165-467: Was "difficult to describe the quality of the lunacy on display" Reviewing the 2011 Los Angeles event, the Huffington Post described it as a piece of rare wholesome fun so rare in modern-day big cities, and through the various designs and teams it showed creativity and the human spirit, with flashes of great ingenuity and engineering, and capturing the zeitgeist . Previewing the 2015 London event,
10272-470: Was "too impatient". Verstappen now lay in sixth place in the championship with 35 points, only three points ahead of Fernando Alonso in the McLaren, and 37 points behind his teammate in third, who had taken two wins in the first six races. In Canada , Verstappen topped all three practice sessions and qualified third, two-tenths off Sebastian Vettel in pole position. He eventually finished third and set
10379-609: Was also the first time the competition was held in Oceania. Auckland would later host the soapbox race thrice more, in 2005, 2013 and 2015. In 2004, the event was organized in four different locations throughout the year, including Durban, South Africa . The same location was chosen one year later, and the country would host the competition twice more, in 2006 (in Johannesburg ) and 2010 (in Soweto ): South Africa still represents
10486-581: Was appointed an Officer of the Order of Orange-Nassau in recognition of his racing achievements. Verstappen has been dating Kelly Piquet since October 2020. Verstappen started racing in karts at the age of four and competing in championships at the age of seven. In 2005 he competed in the Mini Junior championship of his home province of Limburg , Belgium and won the VAS Championship in
10593-429: Was deemed illegal. He won his third Formula One race at the Mexican Grand Prix , after passing Sebastian Vettel on the opening lap. In the first six races of the 2018 season, Verstappen had been involved in at least one incident in each race. In Australia , he qualified fourth but fell behind Kevin Magnussen at the start. In his attempts to retake the position he ran wide multiple times and damaged his car, with
10700-555: Was forced to retire due to an engine failure. However, at the subsequent race in Malaysia , Verstappen qualified sixth and finished the race in seventh place, scoring his first Formula One points aged 17 years, 180 days, breaking the record of the then- youngest driver to score World Championship points . At the 2015 Monaco Grand Prix , Verstappen was involved in a high-speed collision with Romain Grosjean , after clipping
10807-574: Was inspired by major motor sports events like the Gordon Bennett Cup and the Kaiserpreis race. In 1933 Dayton Daily News newspaper photographer Myron Scott of Dayton, Ohio , United States had covered a race of boy-built cars in his home community and was so taken with the idea that he acquired rights to the event; the national-scale Soap Box Derby grew out of this idea. In 1934, Scott had managed to persuade fifty cities across
10914-457: Was narrowly behind his teammate in the championship due to his own recent resurgence and Ricciardo's unreliability. Verstappen enjoyed a very strong second half of the season, achieving podium finishes in Belgium , Singapore , Japan and the United States , the latter of which he achieved second place having started from 18th on the grid due to a suspension failure in qualifying. Following
11021-717: Was not a successful year for him, as he finished 14th in the European Championship and got taken out in the World Cup by Charles Leclerc . In the following year, Verstappen joined the Intrepid Driver Program to race in the KF2 and KZ2 classes. He won the WSK Master Series in the KF2 class, beating the CRG driver Felice Tiene. Verstappen won the South Garda Winter Cup in the KF2 class, beating Dennis Olsen and Antonio Fuoco . He finished sixth in
11128-463: Was not for tax reasons. In November 2020, Verstappen bought a Dassault Falcon 900 EX aircraft from Virgin Galactic . The aircraft is registered PH-DTF and operated by Exxaero. Verstappen is a supporter of FC Barcelona and PSV Eindhoven . Verstappen speaks three languages, Dutch, English and German, the latter of which he learned while karting with Michael Schumacher . In September 2022, he
11235-458: Was plagued by issues, finishing the first practice session early due to a gearbox problem and crashing in the second practice session before retiring from the race due to a brake problem. He would then finish fourth in Germany after strategy errors let a recovering Hamilton get past him as he went on to win the race. Verstappen ended the first half of the season with a retirement in Hungary and
11342-403: Was poised to win the 2018 Brazilian Grand Prix , having overtaken Räikkönen, Vettel, Bottas, and Hamilton. However, he collided with Force India driver Esteban Ocon who was trying to unlap himself on faster tyres. Ocon received a 10-second stop-and-go penalty for the incident. After the collision with Ocon, Verstappen finished in second place behind Hamilton. During an argument with Ocon after
11449-483: Was then taken to Coventry hospital for precautionary checks and further assessment, before eventually being discharged at 22:00 local time on Sunday night. Hamilton would go on to win the race, reducing Verstappen's lead in the championship to eight points. At the next race, the Hungarian Grand Prix , Verstappen's car suffered damage in a multi-car collision on lap 1, where Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas
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