Verstappen Racing has started supporting Dries van Langendonck, a leading young driver from Belgium. The 15-year-old remains part of McLaren’s driver development programme. He will receive extra guidance and simulator access through the new arrangement.
Van Langendonck leads the British Formula 4 standings after four victories this season. His results explain why two Formula 1 organisations now follow his progress closely. The agreement does not move him away from McLaren or change his present championship.
A second layer of support
Max Verstappen noticed Van Langendonck during the Belgian driver’s successful karting years. He continued watching after the teenager moved into single-seater racing. Verstappen now wants to share experience without replacing McLaren’s established development work.
The roles around the driver are clearly separated. McLaren remains his Formula 1 connection and manages its own junior programme. Verstappen Racing adds practical help from another racing organisation. That support includes access to its simulator facility.
Van Langendonck welcomed the chance to use another simulator away from race weekends. Verstappen Racing operates its own facility alongside its GT and sim-racing programmes. The agreement gives the teenager access while his British Formula 4 campaign continues.
Verstappen Racing already operates in GT competition and sim racing. Supporting a junior single-seater driver is a new part of its activity. The organisation is starting with one prospect whose early record is already strong.
Karting success came first
Van Langendonck built his reputation in karting before joining McLaren. He won the World Junior Karting title in 2023. McLaren placed him in its programme the following year, when he was still only 13.
The McLaren agreement linked him to a Formula 1 team before his single-seater debut. He then moved from karts into cars and won immediately at Donington Park. His first victory arrived during his opening British Formula 4 weekend.
He later won the Formula Winter Series before starting the present British campaign. Four victories have helped him reach the championship lead. The points position gives the new support project a clear sporting basis.
| Driver | Dries van Langendonck |
|---|---|
| Age | 15 |
| Present series | British Formula 4 |
| Existing programme | McLaren Driver Development |
British F4 remains the immediate task
Four race victories placed Van Langendonck at the top of the British Formula 4 standings. The championship remains his only confirmed racing programme. Neither McLaren nor Verstappen Racing announced a mid-season change.
His lead follows success in three different stages. He first won the junior karting world title, then the Formula Winter Series. His British campaign added the next set of results in a faster car.
The simulator agreement adds preparation time without changing the points table. Results still come from the British series and its remaining rounds. The announcement did not name a later category or a promotion date.
Verstappen described the arrangement as cooperation with McLaren rather than a competing programme. McLaren keeps its existing development role. Verstappen Racing supplies an additional facility and direct experience from another organisation.
McLaren remains central to his route
Van Langendonck attended the Belgian Grand Prix weekend with McLaren. He wore team clothing in the garage and observed Formula 1 operations at close range. The visit placed him beside the people managing his long-term development.
The Belgian event also gave Verstappen a chance to explain the new support. He described the project as a joint effort with McLaren. Both sides want the driver to make sensible choices as his career develops.
That cooperation matters because junior careers contain several possible steps. Formula Regional and Formula 3 use different calendars and machinery. Neither organisation announced Van Langendonck’s next category.
The main race at Spa produced a separate Formula 1 result. The Belgian Grand Prix account covers the winner and the decisive moments.
Van Langendonck continues his British Formula 4 campaign
McLaren remains responsible for Van Langendonck’s existing junior programme. Verstappen Racing adds guidance and access to its simulator facilities without replacing that relationship.
The Verstappen organisation already works in GT racing and sim competition. Its new role gives the Belgian driver another source of technical support during his first single-seater seasons.
Van Langendonck leads the British Formula 4 standings after four victories. His earlier record includes the World Junior Karting title and a Formula Winter Series championship.
His Donington Park victory made him the youngest race winner in British F4 history. He remains in that championship, and neither programme has named his next category.
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