Verstappen takes 15-year-old McLaren junior under his wing in first outside management deal

Max Verstappen has signed 15-year-old Belgian driver Dries Van Langendonck to Verstappen Racing, taking on management and financial backing of the McLaren junior in what marks the first time the Verstappen camp has represented a driver outside its own family circle.

Van Langendonck is currently competing in British Formula 4 as part of McLaren’s junior programme, and Verstappen was quick to stress at Spa that his new protégé will remain a McLaren junior. The Verstappen Racing partnership runs alongside that existing arrangement, focusing on management and career guidance with Formula 1 as the long-term goal.

Raymond Vermeulen, the key management figure within the Verstappen group, will handle the day-to-day representation. Motorsport.com understands that several drivers have previously approached Vermeulen about management, but he had never taken up such an offer until now — a detail that underlines how highly Verstappen rates the teenager.

“I would only do it with drivers in whom I genuinely see great potential,” Verstappen said during his Dutch media session at Spa. “Drivers this good do not come along every year. That is why Dries is really the first one for me. He definitely has a lot of potential to succeed.”

The relationship between the two is not a new one. Verstappen explained that the families have known each other for years, with roots stretching back to the karting world through mutual connections with the Pex family.

“Dries’ father knew my father, and they were also good friends through the Pex family,” Verstappen said. “At some point it simply came up in our conversations. Dries was karting, and naturally you keep a close eye on those things. You start talking and eventually you arrive where we are now.”

On the financial side, Verstappen confirmed he is prepared to invest directly in Van Langendonck’s career progression. “We do what is necessary,” he said, without elaborating on the specific terms of the arrangement.

The announcement carries an added layer of intrigue given that Verstappen himself has been heavily linked with a move to McLaren in recent weeks. Thursday’s news connects the four-time world champion to the Woking outfit in an entirely different — and rather more immediate — way.