Max Verstappen can’t quite commit to Red Bull‘s future, he’s been sniffing around McLaren informally, and now he’s gone and signed a McLaren junior as his first-ever driver management client. Subtle, this is not.
The Kid in Question
Fifteen-year-old Belgian Dries van Langendonck is the man Verstappen has chosen to launch his driver management career. The teenager joined McLaren’s Driver Development Programme in July 2024 straight after winning the 2023 World Junior Karting title, one of seven karting championships on his CV. He has since stormed the British Formula 4 championship with Rodin Motorsport, taking pole and victory on his very first weekend, winning the Formula Winter Series with nine victories from fifteen races, and currently leading the 2026 British F4 standings after a double win at Zandvoort. Not bad for someone who isn’t old enough to drive on public roads.
What Verstappen Actually Brings
Beyond the famous name, Verstappen Racing will provide van Langendonck with simulator access through Verstappen Racing Pro Simulation, plus the backing of a professional management structure. It is Verstappen’s first move into junior driver development, having already built a GT3 team that now carries Mercedes factory support.
“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. After getting to know Dries and his family, I’m convinced that all the signs for becoming a great future driver are there.” – Max Verstappen
Van Langendonck, for his part, sounds understandably thrilled.
“To be able to learn from such an experienced driver as Max and to have the support of his professional management team, alongside that of McLaren Racing, is really amazing. I am very thankful.” – Dries van Langendonck
The Elephant in the Paddock
Van Langendonck remains a McLaren junior. He is not defecting to the Red Bull academy. Verstappen is simply layering his own management operation on top of the existing McLaren arrangement. Which, given the swirling speculation about Verstappen’s own future, is quite the coincidence. McLaren boss Zak Brown recently shut the door on a Verstappen move to Woking, and Toto Wolff did the same for Mercedes a few days earlier. Yet here is Verstappen, building a formal professional bridge to McLaren through a shared junior driver. You couldn’t script it.
It is also worth noting that Verstappen shares Belgian roots with his new client, through his mother Sophie Kumpen. Fernando Alonso blazed this particular trail first, having already steered Gabriel Bortoleto all the way to an F1 seat with Audi. As for Verstappen’s own immediate future at Red Bull, that question remains very much open.
A Smart Move, Whatever the Motive
Whether this is pure altruism, savvy business, or a very long-game play involving McLaren, signing a dominant British F4 leader at fifteen is objectively good talent spotting. The cynics will note the timing. The optimists will note the talent. Both are probably right.
