F1 News: Max Verstappen Denied Mercedes Drive As Champion Enjoys Holiday

Max Verstappen's holiday in Portugal brought an unexpected twist when he was denied a Mercedes rental due to age restrictions

Formula 1 world champion Max Verstappen was denied the chance to drive a Mercedes AMG GT by a car rental company in Portugal, according to The Sun. Despite his renowned skills on the race track, the age policy of the rental company stood in the way, highlighting an hilarious scenario for the celebrated driver.

Key Takeaways:

• Max Verstappen, the 26-year-old Formula 1 champion, faced an unexpected refusal at Faro airport in the Algarve when he attempted to rent a Mercedes AMG GT from Sixt, a car rental company.
• The rental company's policy requires a minimum age of 30 to hire the specific car, leading to Verstappen being unable to rent it, despite his status as a seasoned F1 driver.
• Sixt acknowledged the uniqueness of the situation and offered an apology to Verstappen, stating that he could rent the desired car from them at any time, and provided him with another premium vehicle.

Max Verstappen, a three-time Formula 1 world champion, recently encountered an unusual situation while holidaying after a successful season. According to a report by The Sun, while enjoying his holiday in the Algarve, Verstappen tried to hire a Mercedes AMG GT from Sixt, a rent-a-car company at Faro airport. However, he was met with a refusal due to a policy that requires renters to be at least 30 years old to hire the car in question.

The Sun reported:

“When they got to the airport, Max was shocked when he was told he wasn’t allowed to drive the Mercedes he wanted.

"He’s a seasoned F1 driver who’s used to handling powerful cars, so it’s quite astonishing to think he wasn’t allowed to get behind the wheel of this one — but those are the rules, so he abided by them.”

In response, Sixt clarified:

“The employees of our franchise partner in Portugal have only followed the rules that arise for insurance reasons.

"In order to find a customer-friendly solution on site, Mr. Verstappen was provided with another premium vehicle. However, there can be special circumstances that justify a deviation from rules.

"This is such a case. We apologise to Mr. Verstappen. He can rent the car he wants from us at any time.

"There is of course no doubt at all about his driving skills and his experience with powerful cars.”

While the incident was a minor hiccup in his holiday plans, Verstappen was in Portugal for a purpose. He was at the Autódromo Internacional do Algarve (AIA) to participate in a test session that began on December 19th, driving a Verstappen.com Racing Ferrari 296 GT3. Unsurprisingly, it seems that Max is keen to perfect and enjoy his racing even while on holiday.