Verstappen sponsor lost multi-millions by refusing Max deal

A financier of Jos Verstappen's motorsport career, Michel Perridon, has admitted he passed up the opportunity to invest in Max Verstappen, something that would have pocketed him astronomical returns on investment.

The Dutch businessman, who founded electronics company Trust, explained why he decided to forgo investing in the now four-time F1 drivers' champion early in his rise to the top of F1.

Perridon provided significant sponsorship to Jos Verstappen in the early 2000s, with his company's logo visible in F1, most notably adorning his Minardi car in 2003.

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However, when Raymond Vermeulen, who has managed Jos and Max, knocked on his door again with an enticing offer, he turned him down.

"I always sponsored Jos Verstappen with my company, Max's father, and that cost millions," Perridon told The Dutch Dragons podcast.

"At one point, his manager comes to me, [he is] also Max's manager. He said, 'Do you want to invest five million? Then you get 10 per cent of all of Max's income for the rest of his life'."

"But what did Jan Lul [a Dutch fictional character, often used as a name for someone who has done something stupid] say? 'I won't do it. I've invested enough in your family...'," he added, mocking himself.

"A small mistake... you get it wrong sometimes, too, huh."

With Verstappen's salary at Red Bull reported to be around €60 million a year, and rumours of an approach from Aston Martin that would massively exceed what the Milton Keynes squad is paying, it appears to have been an extremely costly pitch for Perridon to let fly by.

His understated appraisal of the misjudgment roused the rest of the panel, who exclaimed: "A big mistake!", in response to the revelation.