Source:REUTERS/Edgar Su
[Saba Sports News] Red Bull driver Max Verstappen holds Dutch nationality despite being born in Belgium. How did this happen? Fans might say it’s simple because his father Jos Verstappen is Dutch; however, the story behind it is far more complex than fans might imagine. Verstappen was born in Hasselt, Belgium, a small city with nearly 80,000 residents; his father is Dutch while his mother is Belgian. Verstappen first got involved in motorsport at the age of seven when he participated in karting competitions in Belgium and performed excellently by winning the mini category championship. At that time, the nationality displayed on the podium was Belgium’s tricolor flag. Fast forward to 2015, Verstappen became the youngest driver in F1 history and was in the spotlight at racetracks. However, there remains considerable controversy surrounding his nationality. His mother has consistently revealed that her son’s ID states his nationality as Belgian. After Verstappen earned his first driver points at the 2015 Malaysian Grand Prix, his mother reiterated that her son is Belgian. However, his father has never considered him Belgian and stated that his son currently holds dual nationality. It’s important to note that within the EU zone, no one cares about nationality; however, according to EU law, citizens must clarify their nationality by age 18. Under his father’s strong insistence, Verstappen had no choice but to choose Dutch as his nationality.