Max Verstappen embarrassed rivals so badly they were told to “give back their licences”

Max Verstappen has so embarrassed his rivals that he has ordered them to “give back their licences”.

Max Verstappen is regarded as the best F1 driver in the world after winning his third consecutive world title in 2023 and has been used to dominating the track from a young age.

After dominating Formula 1 for the past three years, Max Verstappen’s dominance on the track has now become commonplace.
But even at the age of 16, when he was still learning the ropes in F3, the future triple world champion and Red Bull superstar was at his peak. Former AlfaTauri coach Franz Tost has a reputation for scouting the best young talent in the sport and Verstappen, now 26, is considered one of his top choices.

Tost recently recalled a memorable incident from his teenage years when the Dutch sensation embarrassed his opponents. “I remember Max as a 16-year-old playing for the Norrisring [in Germany],” the former Red Bull youth team manager told BBC Sport. “He was wet and he was 1.5 to 2 seconds faster than everyone else. “They said all the other drivers had to hand in their licences, but Max Verstappen was the only driver on the scene.”

Tost said of Verstappen’s rise: “From the first test I was very impressed with how quickly he adapted to speed and braking. Normally a driver needs 100-150km to get used to speed and brakes. “