By: Yesterday, 30 September, four-time world champion Max Verstappen turned 29. Today, upon arriving at the Sepang circuit for the usual round of interviews, Red Bull welcomed him with a big celebration. There were smiles and cakes in the Red Bull garage, while the team’s social media channels were flooded with photos.
An unexpected wish from Red Bull
One post in particular, however, caught our attention. Its caption read: “The last time we celebrated Max’s birthday in Malaysia…”. We will continue the story: it was 2017, the year of the last edition of the GP. It was the Dutchman himself who won that event, finishing ahead of Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes) and team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.
What surprised us most was seeing this kind of post published by Red Bull itself. This is a team which, out of superstition, chose to call its 2021 Formula 1 car the RB16B rather than name it the RB17. It is fair to say that superstition worked out rather well at the time, given the dramatic way the championship ended in Verstappen’s favour.
The last time we celebrated Max's birthday in Malaysia... 🎂🆠pic.twitter.com/XVsN2lKeKW
— Oracle Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) September 30, 2026
Red Bull casts superstition aside. Can Verstappen really challenge for victory?
On this occasion, though, the Milton Keynes team has put all superstition aside and hopes that Sepang can provide the perfect setting for what would be Verstappen’s first victory of this championship.
Perhaps that boldness is driven by the fact that Red Bull are not fighting for any titles in 2026. Whatever the outcome of the race, therefore, would be acceptable. But will the Dutchman have a chance to fight for victory in Malaysia? It is too early to say, but judging by the progress made since the Belgian GP, it would not be a surprise to see him among Mercedes’ most feared rivals this weekend. The engine has plenty of horsepower and, lately, the car has improved greatly in terms of competitiveness.
It could therefore be a particularly happy birthday period for both Verstappen and Hadjar. Today, in fact, Red Bull were not only celebrating the Dutchman: Isack also had his birthday this week. The Austrian marque’s drivers were born just two days apart, albeit several trips around the world away. Hadjar turned 22 on 28 September, while Verstappen turned 29 yesterday.
Cover photo: X, Red Bull; internal photo: X, Red Bull
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