Max Verstappen has signed 15-year-old McLaren junior Dries van Langendonck to his Verstappen Racing team. The move marks the four-time Formula 1 world champion's first step into junior driver development.
Verstappen Racing will provide additional support and guidance to van Langendonck as he advances through the junior ranks. The Belgian-born teenager joined McLaren's driver development programme in July 2024 after winning the 2023 World Junior Karting title.
Van Langendonck moved into single-seater racing at the end of last year, claiming pole and victory on his debut weekend in the British Formula 4 Championship. He is now competing full-time in the series in 2026 and leads the standings after a double victory at Zandvoort.
“I am impressed by the steep progress that Dries has made during his career and the talent he has shown both in karting and in his first steps in open formula racing,” Verstappen said. “Therefore, my management team and I will, with the simulator support of Verstappen Racing Pro Simulation, assist Dries to reach the ultimate goal of Formula 1.”
Van Langendonck will remain part of the McLaren junior programme under the agreement. “Verstappen Racing provides the support to take me to the next level in my career and marks an important step on my path to Formula 1 as the ultimate goal,” he said.
