Max Verstappen created a great buzz around himself when he joined F1 as just a 17-year-old. At the time, he was the youngest driver ever to race in F1 and will continue to hold the record unless the FIA changes the rule on the minimum age requirement to race in the championship (which is 18 currently). However, there was another thing that was mysterious for many F1 fans that continues to puzzle them to this day. Is he Dutch, or is he Belgian?

Max was born and raised in Belgium but races under the Dutch flag. Given how many times he has won races in the last two years, we are sure many fans can now even sing along to the tune of the Dutch national anthem. But the question remains, why does he race under the Netherlands license despite taking birth in Belgium? The answer lies in his parentage.

Where is Max Verstappen from? What is his nationality?

The simple answer is Dutch. Max is from the Netherlands and races under the Dutch flag. However, the reason behind it lies in his upbringing.

Growing up in Belgium, Max went to a school that was close to the Dutch border. After school, he would often move over to the other side as all the karting tracks and workshops would take place in Holland.

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In an interview with Motorsport-Total, he once told, “I was born and raised in Belgium and went to school very close to the border. But after school, I always went straight over to Holland, where we had our workshop with all the go-karts.”

“The Belgian side plays a big role in our family. And I like it that way,” he added.

Soon enough, it all changed when Max’s parents, Jos and Sophie Kumpen separated.

Is Max Verstappen Belgian or Dutch?

Soon after his parent’s divorce, Max permanently moved in with his father who is Dutch. His mother, a Belgian, on the other hand, took care of his younger sister, Victoria.

When Verstappen made his debut under the Dutch flag, his mother objected to it. She cited his birthplace to be Belgium and talked about Max’s being incapable of choosing his nationality until he turned 18. The comments started a war of words between her and Jos.

Verstappen more Dutch than Belgian, claims father

Max has always maintained that he cherishes his dual nationality. He often jokes about how growing up, speaking languages of both countries messed up his accent. While he has no problem in accepting and celebrating his diverse upbringing, his parents were certainly not so supportive some time back. Jos certainly had some stern words when he responded to the claims made by his mother over his nationality.

Jos, through an interview with the Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf, responded, “Everyone wants a piece of Max. On the one hand, it is a nice compliment to him. He is doing very well.”

“So in the eyes of the Belgian media, suddenly Max is Belgian. But until a few months ago hardly anything was said about him in Belgium and now suddenly they are claiming him as theirs,” he added. “The situation is that Max has both nationalities, as Sophie and I were married at the time he was born.”

“But as he races with a Dutch license, he is more Dutch than Belgium. He feels that too. When he is 18 and will choose, it will be for the Dutch nationality,” he further revealed.

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Despite his love and respect for both countries, one fact remains- Max chose the Dutch nationality over the Belgian. What was the reason behind it?

Why did Verstappen choose Dutch citizenship over Belgian?

Despite being neighboring countries, Belgium and Netherlands have some stark cultural differences. However, it’s nothing that bothers Max too much. In fact, he celebrates those differences having grown up with exposure to both cultures. But when it came to choosing nationality, he chose Dutch because of his father.

“You know, the difference between my Mum and Dad, for example, but it’s good: two different countries, of course, they are very close to each other. But I chose to race under the Dutch flag, and nationality also, you know, because of my Dad and no regrets – but I’m happy that I’m half-half at the end of the day,” Max once said.

And it’s not like the country of his choice hasn’t embraced him with open arms. Just last year, the Dutch authorities felicitated him with Officer of the Order of Oranje-Nassau.

Does Max Verstappen have any Dutch sponsors?

It is not just the fans and the authorities from the Netherlands who lent their support to the reigning champion. Ever since his entry into F1, Max has enjoyed some lucrative sponsorship deals with Dutch brands. Supermarket chain Jumbo has been by his side all the way. The company changed its policy of sponsoring sportspersons last year after some money laundering allegations surfaced. However, they made an exception for Verstappen.

Apart from Jumbo, Dutch beer company Heineken is one of Max’s sponsors. Incidentally, the beer brand is also one of F1’s sponsors. Apart from that, the TV channel Ziggo is another backer of the Dutchman.

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Max also has some sweet deals with clothing brand G-Star and used-car digital marketplace Carnext.com in his list of endorsements.