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

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

But 34 years ago, Horner was denied a victory.

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

“She was top 10 in th🌜e world at that point, she was fantastic.”

Did she beat you?

“Yes she did,” Horner admitted.

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

Young Max had the talented S🍨ophie 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 birth, 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 predic🤪ted that.”

Horner also rubbed shoulders with other well-known names i🦹n his karting days.

“Drivers like Jan Magnussen, Kevin Mꦓagnussen’s father,” he 𓆏said. 

“Giancarlo Fisichella, 𓃲Jarni Trulli, really talented guys. Dario Franchetti.

“My life was obsessed by karting. If I wasn’t in a kart, I was drawing it or cleaninꦜg it. 

“I was pretty small. I read this thing saying ༒tha🍸t racing drivers were no higher than 5’8’’.

“I had a chart on the wall, and I was willi♋ng myself to be short! My brother was quite tall and I didn’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 done the engine clamps up properly. The engine fell off when I was in the lead! After that, I’d done well enough that a couple of teams s꧙aid ‘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. In racing, I had something. Suddenly I had a connection with him.”