Copyright: © 2016 Peter van EgmondEighteen year old Formula 1 driver Max Verstappen might still be a teenager, but his eyes are set firmly on reaching the top. He knows exactly where he’s going – not only on the race-track, but in his life. He’s ambitious – to be his own man, to be a success as a racing driver, to take life by the scruff of the neck and make it work for him.
Ambition: Hard work and continuous improvement
Many youngsters arrive at their twenties with no real idea of what they’re going to do with their lives. Not so Max. The burning light of ambition was lit in his eyes before he was five years old, when he began karting under the watchful gaze of his father, himself a former F1 driver.
"I learned from my dad...", Verstappen said, "...that if I was going to succeed as a driver, the only way was to listen and learn from my mistakes – and to do a little better every day. It’s all very well being ambitious – but without hard work and practice to master the basics, ambition isn’t anything more than a vague desire for fame."
By seven he was winning karting races, and by 12 was chalking up international championships. When he was just fifteen, he became world champion and double European champion.
So, by the time he had his first proper experience in a Formula One car, just after his 16th birthday, he had been learning the basics of competitive driving for a good ten years.
For Max, continuous improvement has been a lesson well learned; it’s already bringing him the success he’s hungry for.
Now he’s a talented and highly gifted young Formula One driver, with a position on the Italian Scuderia Toro Rosso team, a junior racing team that develops and prepares promising youngsters for senior racing. Signing for the team while he was still 16, he became the youngest person ever to compete in an F1 race, at just 17.
Ambition: Reaching the top and staying ahead
Max is partnering with Exact, underlining our shared ambition to reach the top of our respective fields. We’re thrilled to be supporting Max, because we see a natural identity between us and young talent like his. He’s hungry for a top podium finish – and so are we!
Exact’s chief executive, Erik van der Meijden, is excited about the new relationship.
He said: "Our partnership with Max is just what we’re looking for and we’re delighted to be supporting him. The way he thinks – always looking ahead, driven by ambition to succeed, and in control of his future – is exactly how we approach the task of giving our customers what they need to fuel their success."
And what does Max think?
He’s as enthusiastic as we are. "I’m delighted and very proud to be partnering with Exact."
He said: "The company already has a history in the world of Formula One, as well as a personal connection. Exact supported my dad when he was a competitive driver. They focus relentlessly on constant improvement – and so do I. We’re a perfect fit!
"We’re both ambitious and we both want to get to the top. Driven by ambition to succeed I think at the end if you put your mind to anything, and if you are ready for it, focus on what you have to do in the moment. I’m realistic – I know you can’t force success. The main thing is to listen to the people who know, and to improve a little every single day."
By Exact
