Verstappen sinks $80 million on jet upgrade

It’s reported Verstappen has acquired a 2022 Dassault Falcon 8X jet, with registration PH-UTL.

UTL is thought to stand for ‘Unleash The Lion’, which is also the registration on the AUD $22 million yacht he purchased last year.

The lavish investment comes with an eye-watering AUD $80 million price tag and replaces a Dassault Falcon 900EX, a jet valued at between AUD $21.5 and $27 million.

The new plane is a larger model, capable of carrying up to 16 passengers rather than 12. It also has a greater range, almost 6500 nautical miles, meaning the Verstappen could reach Melbourne from Dubai.

His new plane has been spotted decked out in his trademark matte black with orange colouring, the same look his previous plane carried.

Previously, Lewis Hamilton purchased a Bombardier Challenger 605 in 2017 for USD $29 million though sold it in 2019 as he sought to reduce his carbon footprint.

Verstappen last year won his fourth drivers’ championship, for which he’s thought to have earned AUD $112 million.

During 2024, the 27-year-old acquired a Mangusta GranSport 33 yacht, a 33-metre vessel that caught the eye of ex-F1 team principal Eddie Jordan.

“He’s bought a new boat, that’s often an indication to me because I know you [David Coulthard] bought a boat at the time and then retired gracefully after that, and I did the same,” he said on the Formula For Success podcast.

“People have a habit of buying boats and retiring. So let’s see what happens.”

It’s a busy time for Verstappen who is preparing both for the forthcoming season and the arrival of his first child with partner, Kelly Piquet.

He’s also been linked with an AUD $1.6 billion deal at Aston Martin, a suggestion rejected by the team which has denied the link.