Which driver was the first Dutch Formula One World Champion, in 2021?

Max Verstappen was the first Dutch Formula One World Champion, winning the title in 2021.

Verstappen secured his first Drivers’ Championship in the season-ending Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on December 12, 2021. Representing Red Bull Racing, he overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap after a late safety-car restart, taking the title in one of Formula One’s most dramatic finishes.

The championship made Verstappen the first driver from the Netherlands to win the Formula One World Championship. He also became the first Red Bull driver to claim the title since Sebastian Vettel in 2013 and the first non-Mercedes champion of the turbo-hybrid era.

The 2021 season featured 10 victories for Verstappen and a closely contested fight with Hamilton. Mercedes initially protested the Abu Dhabi result and later chose not to appeal. The controversy prompted changes to Formula One’s race-control procedures, including the eventual removal of race director Michael Masi.

Being Dutch is not the same as being born in the Netherlands: Verstappen was born in Hasselt, Belgium, but races under the Dutch flag through his father’s side and identifies strongly with the Netherlands.