The Max Verstappen grandstands have been a staple in Formula 1 since 2016. At the end of June, during the Austrian Grand Prix, the Red Bull Ring will turn orange for the tenth season in a row. Roger Hermans, director and owner of the company behind Verstappen Travel, reflects on the inception of what was then a unique concept. “No one does it as big as we do,” he says.
The grandstand is not only a place where passion for Formula 1 and Max Verstappen is expressed, but also a place where joys and sorrows are shared. For instance, Hermans will not soon forget the remarkable story of Dennis Lok, who commemorated each of Verstappen’s Grand Prix victories with a tattoo on his back.
Hermans recalls, “I was instructed by the management to find this fan among hundreds of thousands of people at the circuit. We had trailers around the circuit and I knew what he looked like. I shared this information in our WhatsApp group. One of our employees said, ‘He just bought a shirt here.’ From this, I deduced which campsite he was staying at. I went there and found him.”
What Lok subsequently shared deeply moved Hermans. “Dennis was suffering from diabetes and had undergone a kidney and pancreas transplant. He drew strength from Max and was overjoyed to be at a Grand Prix again in 2018. I took him backstage, where he met his idol. I would love to see his back now,” he says with a wink.
Lok himself reflected on this experience at the end of 2019. “Verstappen signed my shoulder with a marker. Two days later, I had it tattooed over in a tattoo shop.” But that wasn’t the end of it, as Verstappen has been racking up victories ever since, and so the tattoos kept coming. “Even if he wins 91 races like Schumacher, I don’t care. I’ll keep going until I’m completely covered,” the fan from Drenthe said at the time.
Orange Army
While Lok proudly displays his bare upper body, marked in the black of tattoo ink, the Max Verstappen stands are further colored orange. The origin of these stands dates back to the summer of 2016. After the successful debut year of the Dutchman, Verstappen’s management and Red Bull, owner of the Red Bull Ring, join forces. During the Austrian Grand Prix, a special spot is created for Verstappen fans, a group quickly known as the ‘Orange Army’.
“After the first season, we approached it more professionally. We rented permanent stands and what started with one stand, quickly grew to three. The highlight was that we were there with 25 thousand Dutch people. They all booked through Verstappen.com,” Hermans explains.
The counter of Grand Prix with at least one Verstappen stand is currently at four (Austria, Belgium, Hungary, and the Netherlands). “We were unique, but other drivers quickly copied our concept. But as grand as we have set it up, the way we do it, no other driver does it,” asserts Hermans.
