The visit of Jos Verstappen and Max’s manager, Raymond Vermeulen, to McLaren’s hospitality this Friday at Spa-Francorchamps drew a lot of attention in the Formula 1 paddock, further fueling speculation about the future of the Dutch driver. However, the meeting had no relation to the future of the current Red Bull Racing driver and was motivated by a young Belgian talent.
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According to GPblog, the meeting focused on Dries Van Langendonck, a fifteen-year-old driver who recently joined Verstappen Racing. The Belgian will remain linked to McLaren’s driver development program while also receiving guidance from the structure led by the Verstappen family.
Jos and Vermeulen met with Van Langendonck between the two free practice sessions of the Belgian GP. The choice of McLaren hospitality was natural, as the young driver remains part of the British team’s young driver program.
Thus, the presence of the duo in McLaren’s motorhome had no other meaning, and according to information, Max Verstappen’s future was not discussed, and Oscar Piastri does not need to worry about speculation involving his seat at the Woking team, at least for now.
Van Langendonck is considered one of the greatest talents in Belgian motorsport today. After winning seven Karting titles, he debuted in single-seaters in 2025, competing in the British Formula 4 championship with Rodin Motorsport.
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The start of his car career was impressive. The young driver secured a pole position and a victory in his very first race weekend, before winning the Formula Winter Series title with nine wins in fifteen races. Currently, he leads the British Formula 4 championship.
On Thursday, Max Verstappen also commented on the young driver’s potential: “Drivers like this don’t come around every year. For me, Dries is the first in whom I see real potential,” the four-time world champion told the press.
The Dutchman explained that the goal now is to follow the young driver’s development over the coming years. Both Verstappen Racing Pro Simulation and Verstappen’s management team will support the Belgian in his career, which could, in the future, lead him to Formula 1, without interfering with his stay in McLaren’s program.
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