The scarcely-believable ꦜtale of Horner being outpaced on the race-track by Verstappen’s mum was recounted recently by 🥃the Red Bull boss.

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

But 34 years ago, Horner was denied a victory.

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

“She was top 10 i๊n the world at that point, she was fantastic.”

Did she beat you?

“Yes she did,” Horner admitted.

Sophie Kumpen was a respect🐓ed racing driver who had a career to be proud of, before her son was born in 1997.

Young Max had the talented Sophie 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 bi𓄧rth, unaware that one day Max would become the phenom that we see today.

“We met when we were 13,” Horner said. 

“𒊎I don’t think either of us could’ve predicted that.”

Horner also rubbed shoulders with other well-known names in his kartinꦜg days.

“Drivers like Jan Magn🥂ussen, Kevin Magnussen’s father,”🌌 he said. 

“Giancarlo Fisichella, Jar✨ni Trulli, really talented ಌguys. Dario Franchetti.

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

“I was prett🤡y small. I read this thing saying that racing drivers were no higher than 5’8’’.

“I had a chart on the wall, and I was willing myself to be short! My brother w💮as 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 said ‘w༺hy doesn’t he come and race for us’.”

Horner explained his fa෴ther’s view of his love for racing: “Between tolerant and suppo𒈔rtive. 

“He was like ‘where is this going?’ 

“But, as𒈔 parents, they always encouraged us to follow our dreams. In racing, I had something. Suddenly I had a connection with him.”