'Nosebleeds and cramping': Max Verstappen tells all about milestone career win

Verstappen pole in NLS2 — Photo: © IMAGO

Max Verstappen

'Nosebleeds and cramping': Max Verstappen tells all about milestone career win

Verstappen reminisced on a milestone win

Sheona Mountford F1 Journalist

Motorsport journalist working in F1 since 2024.

Friday 15 May 2026 16:55

F1 champion Max Verstappen revealed his never heard before details about a milestone career victory, including some gruesome physical side-effects.

It's hard to believe that Verstappen has been winning in F1 for a decade now, having secured his first grand prix win at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

Friday, May 15 marked the 10-year anniversary of Verstappen's maiden victory in Barcelona where, at just 18-years-old, he became the youngest ever F1 race winner - a record he still holds to this day.

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The Dutchman had just replaced Daniil Kyvat at the Red Bull team after the Russian Grand Prix, awarded his debut in Barcelona by then advisor Helmut Marko. While Mercedes were the dominant team in 2016, both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg failed to finish the race after a lap one collision between the pair at Turn 4.

Mercedes' infamous rivalry allowed Verstappen to overtake Sebastian Vettel and when Red Bull pitted Daniel Ricciardo, the Dutchman found himself in the lead of the race and was able to hold on to make history at the chequered flag.

Verstappen: My dad had a nosebleed

Much can be written, and already has been, about Verstappen's extraordinary career, from his first drivers' title in 2021 to his attempt at the Nurburgring 24 Hours this weekend.

It was, however, put into words best by the people who experienced his maiden win first-hand; Verstappen, his race engineer Gianpiero Lambiase and Red Bull's chief engineer Paul Monaghan all spoke to The Athletic for the anniversary.

Discussing the moment, Verstappen revealed the strong physical reaction not only in his own body, but also in his dad's, Jos Verstappen.

"I almost cramped celebrating in the car. That’s the first goal that I wanted to achieve, of course, in Formula 1, to be on the podium and win a race. That was already something really crazy at the time," Verstappen explained.

"It was the perfect start. My dad’s nose was bleeding from emotions."

"We went out, we had a good night. It was a good celebration, for sure. The next day, the Prime Minister called me. For the Netherlands, it was the first race win. It was a big thing," Verstappen added.

"My dad has the trophy in his house. He has a few, but I gave that one to him."

Verstappen's race engineer Lambiase, affectionately known as GP and has worked with the champion since the very beginning of his Red Bull career, also revealed what his first race victory meant to him.

"It was just pure elation and relief. It was the absolute best possible start to what had, 10 days earlier, been quite an intimidating encounter between the two of us," he said.

Lambiase later added: "If I think about my career highlights, or the moments that come to mind immediately, it’s his first race win, his first championship. There’s a few other scattered moments. But the first win and the first championship are the cherries on the cake."

F1 Red Bull Max Verstappen Spanish Grand Prix