Remarkable $250k Verstappen ‘bet’ payment revealed

Formula E CEO Jeff Dodds and four-time F1 champion Max Verstappen are collaborating to donate $250,000 to charities.

Earlier this year, Dodds pledged that Formula E would donate $250k to a charity if any driver beat Verstappen to the F1 drivers’ championship.

Lando Norris emerged as the Dutchman’s closest challenger but fell short in the battle, with Verstappen sealing his fourth consecutive championship at the Las Vegas Grand Prix.

Despite that, Dodds and Verstappen have opted to split the wager 50/50. $125k has been pledged by Verstappen to Wings For Life, Red Bull Racing’s partner charity that aims to find a cure for spinal cord injury.

Formula E, meanwhile, will use its money to boost More than Equal, an independent not-for-profit organisation that strives to enable greater opportunities for women in motorsport.

“The charity closest to me is Wings For Life and I’m sure they’ll be very grateful; and to support any kind of motorsport and young talent is amazing, so I think it’s a great shout from you,” said Verstappen. 

“Thank you very much Jeff, I wish you all the best of course, and I’ll be watching the championship during my time off!”

Dodds added: “What started as a very tongue-in-cheek ‘bet’ at the start of the season has evolved into a serious commitment to support gender equity within our Championship, with the ultimate goal of seeing women competing full-time in Formula E.

“As a first step, the research we have commissioned in partnership with More Than Equal will help us better understand the barriers to entry that women currently face, and how specifically Formula E and our teams can provide greater parity, opportunities and inclusion at the top level of our championship.

“My thanks also go to Max and Oracle Red Bull Racing for committing half of the money from my original wager to Wings For Life to support the important work they do around spinal cord research. Congratulations to Max on his fourth consecutive world drivers’ championship and we look forward to even more competitive racing next season. 

“Meanwhile, the new Formula E season is already well underway and we’re excited to showcase more thrilling races, lots of exciting overtaking and fantastic wheel-to-wheel action for our fans across the globe.”