How Verstappen's F1 success has fuelled insatiable travelling fanbase

F1

Max Verstappen's back-to-back world championship success has been followed by a fervent travelling fanbase – his manager Raymond Vermeulen explains how the 'Orange Army' has been mobilised

Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen at the 2022 Austrian GP

Verstappen's ascension to top of F1 world has been followed quickly by the 'Orange Army' of fans

A second world championship for Max Verstappen in 2022 has further established his credentials for a place among the all-time greats of Formula 1, but even before his first title he was already a national hero in the Netherlands.

That success was built on a perfect storm of various factors. He was born with a famous surname, he was propelled through the ranks to the verge of F1 at 16, he had an appealing ‘what you see is what you get’ personality, and demonstrated an aggressive style in the car. It all came together as he started to find success in Red Bull.

Nobody outside Verstappen’s family knows him better than his manager Raymond Vermeulen, who worked with his father Jos previously, and has helped to mastermind Max’s progress to becoming the biggest sporting hero in country, and latterly an international superstar.

“It went very rapidly,” says Vermeulen. “I think that his popularity is the outcome of what is happening on track. He was very young, so of course, you have a lot of attention. And I think the achievements, what he did, made growing activities off track as well.

“So as of course, the logical step of what happens on track [is] that off track, it also went very quickly. That it went this big, and that we have the Dutch Grand Prix and everything, is something that is very special to experience.”

Dutch fans cheer Max Verstappen at Zandvoort

Easy KLM transport link means Orange Army once again follows Verstappen round the world

Boris Streubel/Getty Images

Motor racing has long been popular in Holland, and the country’s history in grand prix racing stretches back to the first years after WWII and the birth of Zandvoort. However historically local drivers have struggled to find sufficient sponsorship and progress through the ranks.

In the end Max only needed to find the budget to get as far as F3 before the Red Bull momentum took over.

“Of course, I think that with Max it was a bit of different story,” says Vermeulen. “He was super talented, but I think for drivers [generally], it’s not easy to find your way in Holland for a racing driver.

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“But I think that making the deal when Max was very young, 16 with Red Bull, that was the right call, and they helped him on his path, and did the right things to prepare him for F1.

“I think we made the right decisions at the right moments. But I think that Max would have come in F1 anyway, but maybe on a different route or later, but he was meant to here, and was prepared.”

Max’s nationality has ultimately worked in his favour. The Netherlands is a relatively small country of 17 million people, so arguably it’s easier to become nationally famous than in say the UK, France or Germany.

“Dutchies like to support the success and the national product,” says Vermeulen. “We had Jos in the early days, so of course we had a big fan crowd with him already.

“So when Max was on the world platform, making the progress as a Dutchman, that got a very support big support in Holland.”

The small size of the country also means that it has relatively few sporting heroes. In the seventies it was a big force in football – Johan Cruyff was a global superstar who transcended his sport, and his team made the World Cup final in both 1974 and 1978, losing both times.

Red Bull F1 driver Max Verstappen at the 2022 Dutch GP

On-track success has fuelled merchandise and fans willing to travel overseas

Red Bull

After a lull the country was runner-up again in 2010, but in recent years the national team has not matched its earlier heights. Verstappen’s success has thus arguably garnered more attention at home because he has few major rivals for people’s attention, certainly on the global stage.

“I think that’s the last big hero was Cruyff,” says Vermeulen. “That’s one of the biggest export products what we had in Holland, but Max is representing Holland on the fantastic way.

“He got the support from all Dutchies and they like to travel, so they bring the orange kit all over the world. And that is sort of reflecting the Dutch spirit.”

The travel aspect is key to his high-profile fan base. The Dutch are famous in Europe for enjoying camping holidays – a high percentage of the population own caravans or small motorhomes and like to drive around the continent. An F1 race represents a perfect weekend away.

“We like events,” says Vermeulen. “I think in Holland we have some good, big events like music events. The Dutch like to enjoy a weekend, and I think F1, besides a fantastic racing, it’s a nice weekend event and with music and all the new things that Liberty brought in – that’s something the Dutch like in particular.

“If you look at Spa, or even worldwide, the orange are everywhere. In Austria for example, you have a full package with campsite, you can drive by car, you have the caravan, you have a fantastic programme. The facilities are great in Austria.

“Even flying from Amsterdam to Montreal or to Japan is something that’s doable by KLM – that’s why you see the Dutch everywhere.”

Now he also has home race at Zandvoort that revolves entirely around his fanbase – with an extraordinary atmosphere.

Verstappen leads at Zandvoort

Verstappen leads the way at Zandvoort in front of a packed mass of orange-clad supporters

Getty Images

Verstappen’s popularity didn’t build by chance – Vermeulen’s team has made sure there was a plenty of promotion around him, especially via his website. Personal sponsor Jumbo, a major supermarket chain, also played a role.

“I think that we make it very attractive – we’re always very busy in building activities around racing, and that is something that the fans appreciate. We have special helmets, special merchandising, we have normal pricing, so I think we are very accessible for the world – it’s something that the fans appreciate.

“Of course, in over the 600 Jumbo stores we are having the products, but also with the broadcasting deals we are making now with ViaPlay, we are promoting Max on the worldwide scale. It’s something we always did with Jos, and that’s what we’re doing ever since.”

What is it about Max’s personality that appeals so much to his countrymen?

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“Max is the ‘boy next door’, so what you see is what you get – people see themselves in Max.

“He’s pushing the established drivers, so I think that that is of course attractive to a new audience, similar to Lando and Charles – they like that new kids in town now are pushing the established drivers.”

The downside is that fame brings with it extra pressures, and Max can’t walk on the street in his home country.

“In the early days Max was travelling by train. Yeah, you can forget that kind of thing! I think if you speak to every high-profile sportsman or famous guy, that’s the price you pay for fame.

“That’s part of the deal, I think he’s very realistic – he became aware of it with Jos in the early days. In Monaco, he has a good life where people are not around.”

So having won a second title, what is the future for Max Verstappen?

“I think that Max takes it as it is. The second title is absolute something fantastic, but in the end next year, we start from zero and we go again. Where’s the the limit? I think as long as you have the package from the team that you can perform, the sky’s the limit.”

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