The popularity of Max Verstappen has seen merchandise sales and viewing numbers spike, and loads of new Dutch Formula 1 fans coming into the sport. One of his biggest followers, Bas van Bodegraven, started the the ‘Max Verstappen Racecar driver latest news‘ fan club, before the Dutch wonderkid had ever completed a single car race.

Now, it’s the biggest Max Verstappen club, with over 50,000 members. Jaap Grolleman spoke with him at Spa to get the full story.

Jaap Grolleman: When and how did you start with the fan club?

Bas van Bodegraven: It was early 2014. Max had just won the World KZ championship in karting, and tested for Ferrari’s Florida Winter Series. I was always interested in Max, of course, because of his father who had raced F1, and his mother, Sophie, who was herself a good karter. I thought, ‘If they coach this kid well, he can get really far’.

But I was surprised by the lack of news about Max. I wanted more updates, especially because I was ill. Nothing dramatic, but bad enough to be home-bound for some time. I thought it’d be good to have one collection of updates on Max, so I started the Facebook group with just that purpose.

JG: Were you expecting Max’s path to Formula 1 by then?

BvB: No, I had no idea. I wouldn’t have dared to dream he’d do what he has done. In fact, you wouldn’t have been able to make it up. It was early 2014 and he had never driven a single car race.