Imagine meeting a world-renowned racer and denying them business.
A Formula One world champion was deemed ‘too young’ on holiday which led to a bizarre scenario abroad.
Max Verstappen is a racing driver who has been competing in F1 since he was 17 years old, going on to be the youngest driver to compete in the sport's history.
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It was clear he was going to become a racing driver as his parents are former Formula One driver Jos Verstappen, and former karting and racing driver Sophie Kumpen.
However, it looks like the 26-year-old won’t be driving in Portugal in his free time any time soon after he was reportedly denied the chance to hire out a Mercedes high-performance car.
It's reported the F1 driver initially booked a circuit in Portugal with the intention of renting out a Mercedes to spin around a track, but the rental firm turned him down because of a strict rule.
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The firm, Sixt, revealed that it has an insurance policy which prohibits allowing anyone under 30 to drive the AMG GT motor.
According to The Sun, Verstappen flew with friends and family on three private jets and rented approximately 20 cars from Sixt at Faro Airport as well as time at the Autodromo Internacional do Algarve circuit.
But instead of the coveted Merc, he was reportedly forced to take a BMW 5 Series instead.
A source told the publication: “Max and the group went to Portugal for a fun racing trip and had booked the cars they wanted.
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“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.”
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A Sixt spokesman said: “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.”
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LADbible has contacted representatives for Max Verstappen for comment.
Britt Jones