The scarcely-believable tale of Horner bein💦g outpaced on the race-track by Verstappen’s mum was recounted recently by the Red Bull boss.

Today, Horner and Verstappen are dominating Forꦚmula 1 and won this season’s constructors’ and drivers’ championships.

But 34 years ago, Horner was denied a victory.

“I race🔴d in the 1989 Junior Karting Championship, and I raced against Max Verstappen’s mum,” Horner told the podcast. 

“She was top 10 in the🥃 world at that poin꧃t, she was fantastic.”

Did she beat you?

“Yes she did,” Horner admitted.

Sophie Kumpen was a respected racing driver who had a career to be proud of, before her son w𝐆as born in 1997.

Young Max had the talented Sophie for a mum, and Formula 1 driver Jos Verstappen ✤for a dad.

It is a remarkable🌟 fact that Horner and Max’s mum were jostling for position on a race-track eight years before his birt😼h, unaware that one day Max would become the phenom that we see today.

“We met when we were 13,” Horner said. 

“I don’t think either of us could’ve predi🥀cಌted that.”

Horner also rubbed shoulders with other well-kno𒁃wn names in his karting days.

“Drivers like Jan Magnussen, Kevin Magnussen’s father,” ♒he said. 

“Giancarlo Fisichella, Jarni Trulli, really talented guys. 𓄧Dario Franchetti.

“My li💝fe was obsessed by karting. If I wasn’t in a kart, I was drawing it or cleaning it. 

“I was pretty small. I read this thing saying that racing drivers were no higher than 5’8’’ꦆ.

“I had a chart on the wall, and I was willin꧃g myself to be short! My brother was quite tall and I didn𒁃’t want to grow like him! I became obsessed by the age of 13.

“My dad was a mechanic. Until I was in the lead of a race. He hadn’t do🦩ne the engine clamps up properly. Theജ engine fell off when I was in the lead! After that, I’d done well enough that a couple of teams said ‘why doesn’t he come and race for us’.”

Horner explained his father’s view of his🌸 love for racing: “Between tolerant and supportive. 

“He was like ‘where is this going?’ 

“But, as parents, they always encouraged us to follow our dreams. Inꦍ racing, I had something. Suddenly I had a connection with him.”