Jos Verstappen leaving a young Max at a gas station following the latter’s inability to win a karting race is a popular and infamous story. This gave Jos a villainous reputation, for being harsh on his son. Per Max, however, what many don’t realize is that he did all of this to make him better than himself.
To make sure Max becomes successful in F1. Looking back on his karting days in a documentary, Max said, Jos didn’t have the most successful career in F1, driving mostly for backmarkers or midfield teams. In his rookie year, he scored two podiums with Benetton – which would remain his only top three finishes throughout his F1 stint.
Still, Jos drove alongside some great drivers, including seven-time World Champion Michael Schumacher. As such, he knew what it took to get to the top of F1 and decided to inculcate his learnings into Max. Today, Max is a three-time World Champion and his father doesn’t feel the need to be as strict with him anymore.
Jos knows it is time for his son to have his own spotlight, and refuses to take credit for his victories. However, Jos played a crucial role in getting Max where he is today. A former coach also pointed out how Max mastered racing, long before he got to the pinnacle of motorsports.
Liam Lawson’s Manager was surprised by Max Verstappen’s incredibly developed racing sense Max’s father Jos was an F1 driver, but his mom Sophie Kumpen too, developed a serious reputation in the world of racing. She was an avid karting driv.
