"can you imagine if you have two children and you give one child away when he's eight? as a mom it hurt me a lot. i didn't saw him so much when he was younger. i just had to settle and wait. i said 'my time will come. my time will come.'" - sophie kumpen about max verstappen
At age 7, Max drives his first kart races. As a rookie he participates in the Mini Category of the Belgium Championships organised by the Flemish Autosport Federation. From the moment the lights go green, Max displays his extraordinary talent. He drives the perfect season clinching win after win. In the rain, the youngster proves to be dominant, resulting in Max becoming the unbeaten Belgium Champion, a few days after his eighth birthday.
2005, Genk Karting Circuit Photo by KartPhoto