Max Verstappen, 24, showed he was king of the circuit in December as he controversially claimed the F1 championship in a dramatic final lap battle with Lewis Hamilton.

Max Verstappen is the proud owner of a £12m Falcon-900EX private jet

Verstappen currently leads the driver standings by 19 points

Virgin boss and British business magnate, Richard Branson was the previous owner Credit: AP

And motor racing isn’t the only thing Verstappen, who is leading the championship this term, is flying high in.

For he is the proud owner of his own private jet, that he splashed the cash on in 2020.

Max paid around £12million for the Falcon-900EX and it was spotted landing at Luton Airport on Wednesday ahead of this weekend’s British GP at Silverstone.

It was previously in the hands of Virgin boss and British business magnate, Sir Richard Branson, according to reports.

Verstappen already leads a life of luxury, and is said to have a £45million fortune.

He lives in a stunning apartment in Monaco, like most F1 heroes, worth millions.

Mad Max also has an incredible car collection, owning various Aston Martins through the years. And he’s awaiting their £2million Valkyrie, which he has on order and is due for delivery next year.

But in the meantime, he has another toy to play with – and like his team’s drink’s motto, it gives him wings.

Last year, Verstappen bought himself a Falcon-900EX private jet worth about £12m to travel in style with.

Better still, you can bet it was very well looked after by its previous owner.

That’s because it was said to be owned by Virgin Atlantic billionaire Sir Richard Branson.

Incredibly, the Falcon-900EX costs about £1million-per-year to keep.

But that won’t dent Verstappen’s bank balance, who is happy to fly in style and sometimes give mates like Daniel Ricciardo a lift to a Grand Prix.

Made in 2008, it was given a significant upgrade before it was handed over to F1’s youngest ever Grand Prix winner.

Now powered by three Honeywell TFE731-60 engines, it’s capable of a maximum range of 8,750 kilometres before it requires refuelling, can hit a top speed of 892 km/h, and cruising speed of 850 km/h.

As for the interiors, it’s just as luxurious.

Capable of seating up to 12 passengers, two seats can be reclined to make a full-size bed.

There’s tables fitted to enjoy a meal and a drink.

There’s even a bar to celebrate, in case you want to pop open some champagne after victory.

You can bet Max’s flight home from Mexico last weekend was a fun one.

Dutch star Verstappen paid around £12m for his own plane

Inside the cockpit of Verstappen’s stunning plane

Verstappen pays around £1m-per-year in up-keep of the Falcon-900EX

Daniel Ricciardo hitches a ride on Verstappen’s private jet

A fully equipped bar would allow Verstappen to celebrate victory in style

The jet boasts a luxury bathroom

Verstappen is the current F1 World ChampionCredit: Rex