Verstappen’s 25-strong army marches on Formula 1 – Max Verstappen has been a Red Bull driver throughout his Formula One career, and last Sunday he secured his 67th Grand Prix victory. The reigning world champion returned from the summer break in commanding form. According to his long-time manager, Raymond Vermeulen, the key to Verstappen’s consistency lies not only in his speed on the track, but also in the wider racing world that keeps his competitive instincts sharp.
Should Verstappen remain with Red Bull Racing until the end of 2027, he will equal Lewis Hamilton’s record of staying with a single team for 246 starts. Verstappen has currently raced in 203 events, winning 67 of them. This brings him ever closer to matching Michael Schumacher’s Ferrari numbers: the German collected 72 wins with the Italian team during his golden era.
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Vermeulen has a hand full of aces
Vermeulen knows his client sits at the pinnacle of the sport. The Dutchman has been Verstappen’s trusted lieutenant since his junior days and admits to negotiating from a position of strength.
“It’s simply a fact that Max is the fastest man on the grid,” Vermeulen told De Telegraaf with a grin.
“Teams spend millions hunting for fractions of a second in car performance. If you have a driver who can deliver that himself, teams will quickly form a queue at your door.”
However, raw lap time is only one element in the discussions that bind Verstappen to Red Bull. Freedom is the other. Verstappen has negotiated a unique deal within Formula One’s marketing colossus. This month, he obtained his Nordschleife A licence, preparing for his first GT3 race at the German circuit.
“We have always been open about Max’s wishes,” Vermeulen explained. “You can see the spark in his eye when he talks about racing outside of Formula One. A happy driver is a fast driver.”
Red Bull appears unfazed by Verstappen’s extracurricular activities, even those involving late-night simulator sessions with his Verstappen.com Racing team or debriefing calls with Vermeulen and Lulham just before qualifying for a Grand Prix. As long as Verstappen shows up razor sharp on Sunday, they are happy to indulge him.
A company of his own?
Verstappen’s passion for racing is not limited to the Formula One calendar. Just a few days ago, Verstappen.com Racing celebrated Gold Cup honours, which added to the list of achievements for his side projects.
“Racing in all forms energises him,” said Vermeulen. “Whether it’s Formula One, sim racing or GT3, there’s no conflict. In fact, it helps him become a better driver.”
The Verstappen portfolio is extensive. He co-founded Pro Simulation with Team Redline boss Atze Kerkhof to provide simulator support for professional drivers and racing outfits. The world champion is not a passive investor.
“I see him immerse himself completely, creating new ideas and driving the project forward,” remarked Vermeulen. “He is very creative, and my job is to channel that enthusiasm in a professional way.”
This has meant that Verstappen’s management workload has increased.
“He doesn’t think racing in 24 Grands Prix is enough,” admitted Vermeulen. “Between sponsorships, contracts and personal matters, I work seven days a week. All told, we now work with around 25 people on Max’s projects. It is quite an enterprise, and it feels like we are building a story that continues to grow.”
The Verstappen empire
Formula One has always been a sport in which drivers have pursued side projects. From Lewis Hamilton’s fashion label to Fernando Alonso’s karting empire, diversification is nothing new. Yet the Verstappen approach has a distinctly corporate sheen. Verstappen.com is not just a sideline, but a fully-fledged brand with dedicated departments and measurable returns.
What began as a father-and-son operation has become a small business empire. Jos Verstappen once played a central role in his son’s career decisions, but the baton has now firmly passed to Raymond Vermeulen and a team of hand-picked professionals. With a workforce of almost 25 people, Verstappen’s ecosystem is comparable in scale to a mid-tier Formula One team, if not in function.
Burnout risk?
It is hard to imagine how many of Verstappen’s contemporaries would have the appetite to match this. The sport has become more demanding, with 24 race weekends that test drivers’ physical and mental limits. Most retire to the villa on Sundays to recharge for the next round.
Verstappen, however, seems happiest when he is heading to another paddock or logging endless laps on a simulator rig. He has turned ‘burnout risk’ into a punchline.
Then there’s the matter of Verstappen’s growing leverage. Each year, the Dutchman looks less like an employee and more like a franchise. Negotiations with Red Bull must feel less like contract talks and more like merger discussions. By 2027, when his contract is due to end, Verstappen may well be comparing himself not to Hamilton, but to McDonald’s. ‘Would you like fries with that Grand Prix win?’
Meanwhile, Raymond Vermeulen is effectively running the Verstappen conglomerate. Twenty-five members of staff is not a management team; it’s a small state. One imagines Vermeulen waking up to a board meeting agenda and an inbox resembling that of a medium-sized tech start-up. He should probably be CEO, not manager.
Still, the results speak for themselves. Verstappen dominates on Sunday, energises on Monday, sim races on Tuesday, meets sponsors on Wednesday, tests on Thursday, qualifies on Saturday, and wins again on Sunday. Somewhere in between, Vermeulen assures us, the driver still sleeps.
The verdict is now in
The Verstappen empire continues to grow, encompassing Red Bull, GT3, eSports and simulator companies. This raises the question: how much larger can this enterprise grow before Formula One itself becomes just one part of the Verstappen empire? Will Verstappen one day leave the sport having matched Schumacher’s Ferrari wins and Hamilton’s team loyalty, while also building a parallel racing empire that dwarfs both?
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The Formula One paddock has turned its attention from the streets of Baku to the demanding challenge of Singapore. Red Bull arrive on the back of two consecutive victories, which have reignited hopes of a late-season surge. Max Verstappen’s victories have reduced his deficit in the Drivers’ Championship to 69 points and boosted morale within the Milton Keynes team.
Yet the optimism is tempered. While team advisor Helmut Marko has spoken enthusiastically about the upswing, team principal Laurent Mekies has urged caution. The Frenchman insists that Red Bull will continue to take each race as it comes, rather than focusing on the points table. “We are really taking it race by race and not looking at the standings,” he explained….. READ MORE
Clara Marlowe is a Formula 1 writer at TJ13 with over 15 years of experience in motorsport journalism, having contributed features to established sports magazines such as Evo, MCN, Wisden Cricket Monthly and other digital outlets.
Clara specialises in human-interest storytelling, focusing on the individuals behind the sport, including drivers, engineers, and team personnel whose roles are often overlooked in mainstream coverage.
At TJ13, Clara contributes long-form features and narrative-driven pieces that explore the personal and professional journeys within Formula 1. This includes coverage of career-defining moments, internal team dynamics, and the human impact of high-pressure competition.
Clara’s work brings depth and perspective to the sport, complementing news and analysis with stories that highlight the people behind the machinery.
Clara has a particular interest in how personal narratives intersect with performance, and how individual experiences shape outcomes across a Formula 1 season.
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