Max Verstappen is a three-time Formula 1 world champion
Car rental service prevented the Dutchman from taking a specific car due to internal safety rules.
Max Verstappen, three-time Formula 1 world champion after a season of almost absolute dominance, is undoubtedly used to driving cars whose top speed often exceeds 350 kilometres per hour (km/h). Even so, the youngest driver to win a Grand Prix (GP) in the premier motorsports category – he won in Barcelona in 2016 at 18 – was considered “too young” to drive a Mercedes AMG GT.
It all happened last week when the Dutchman was in the Algarve to test a GT3 Ferrari 296 GTB on the Portimão circuit. According to British newspaper The Sun, Verstappen tried to rent the above-mentioned car, but since it can exceed 314 km/h, according to the Sixt car rental rules, it can only be rented by clients aged 30 or over. Since the Red Bull champion is 26, he was prevented from taking his first choice, opting for a BMW capable of reaching 250 km/h instead.
The English daily newspaper contacted a car rental service spokesperson who stated that “the employees only complied with the rules imposed for safety reasons”. However, he said, “It is quite surprising he was not allowed to drive the Mercedes.”
Even so, “there may be special circumstances that justify a deviation from the rules. It is one of those cases. We apologise to Mr Verstappen. He can rent any car he wants from us at any time. Of course, there is no doubt about his driving abilities and experience with powerful cars,” he concluded.
