Raymond Vermeulen, Max Verstappen’s manager, talks extensively in the latest edition of FORMULE 1 Magazine about the collaboration with Max and Jos Verstappen and its development since 2014. From a triumvirate to a global brand, so to speak. “Mutual trust is crucial. If you look back at the important decisions we have made, friendship and trust have always been the baseline. Otherwise, I would never have had the energy.”
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The full interview with Raymond Vermeulen about the creation of a global brand can be read in the latest edition of FORMULE 1 Magazine. Read a passage from the story below.
According to Raymond Vermeulen, the dynamic between Max Verstappen, Jos Verstappen and himself has changed over the years. “Mainly because Max has matured and has more of his own voice. In fact, he is now fully in the lead and is increasingly bringing in his own DNA to further develop what we once started. I still set up the commercial structures, but Max is also becoming more and more intensively involved in that process. The creative ideas usually come from him.”
“For me, he is still the Max I knew from before. He is still the same sweet boy who went to Düsseldorf with his parents in 2014 (to sign his first F1 contract, ed.). That is also a bit of the battery that allows me to do this. I am busy with everything seven days a week. From private matters and business things to tasks that would never be part of my job description in a normal setting. That’s because I just want to do it as well as possible for him. In all aspects. I want him to feel good and only have to focus on racing. Jos and I try to arrange that as best as possible.”
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– Formula 1 is often a snake pit at the same time. Have you learned the hard way yourself?
“Yes, I got the best education during Jos’s time with the Eddie Jordans and Tom Walkinshaws of this world. The fact is that with a talent like Max, you naturally have something in your shopping cart. That’s nice to work with, but you still have to stay focused. You don’t want clauses and passages in contracts that could trap you later. The contract with Red Bull is the leading contract; we moderate the other contracts around it.”
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Read the full interview with Raymond Vermeulen in the latest edition of FORMULE 1 Magazine! Get it now in stores or order it online, with free delivery throughout the Netherlands.
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