Convinced fans credit Sophie Kumpen for Max Verstappen’s racing prowess ‘because his dad sucks’

Max Verstappen has reached the pinnacle of his career, but the journey for the Dutch sensation was far from easy. Numerous individuals have played crucial roles in his victories, with special mention to his parents, who have credited Sophie Kumpen for Max Verstappen’s racing talents and made significant sacrifices for his career since his karting days.

While his father’s disciplinary approach during Max’ formative years was perceived as cruel by some fans, and hence, the credit for his remarkable career is often dedicated to his mother.

Fans credit Sophie Kumpen for Max Verstappen’s racing talents

Max Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, was a very sophisticated and talented woman who was no less than a hero for Max Verstappen during his childhood.

In the 90’s, Sophie’s karting career began to flourish increasingly by overcoming numerous challenges on the tracks. Renowned figures such as the Red Bull boss had declared Sophie one of the “top ten karting racers in the world.”

However, in 1996, she met her ex-husband, Jos Verstappen, and her career took a major turning point. Although she visualized herself racing in Formula 1 someday, she never had the opportunity due to dedicating her time to raising her children.

Fans have now taken to Twitter to laud Sophie Kumpen, crediting her efforts and racing genes that she had laid down to Max.

“If he inherited racing talent it’s from his mum because his dad sucks”, one fan wrote.

“we want sophie not jos in the paddock 🫵🏻🗣️🗣️🗣️”, wrote another.

Another user chimed in, “He got his talent from his mama”.

Max Verstappen’s dad was never really a fan favorite, but his mother has received a warm reception from the motorsports faithful. Verstappen’s somewhat strained relationship with his father had also been subject to scrutiny since the Dutch’s climb to stardom.

Max Verstappen’s father, Jos’ underwhelming F1 career

Even though Verstappen’s father, Jos, did not have the best reputation in the motorsports industry, he was surely praised by some of the F1 experts for his driving skills, which are often said to have been inherited by the Dutch sensation.

Jos’s career began at the age of eight, when he secured victory as the junior karting champion in the Netherlands and won two European titles. In 1994, he shortly started racing for top brands such as Benetton, Arrows, Tyrrell, Stewart, and Jaguar.

He was also signed for the Italian Minardi team in 2003, among other drivers. He drove in the Arrows Car, which was claimed to be his best season as he scored 17 points and even secured a podium at the Hungarian Grand Prix.

Simultaneously, he was also involved in many controversial incidents as well. In 1994, as his Benetton was being refuelled during the race, he got indulged in the middle of an enormous fireball, which was caused by leaking gasoline from the fuel pipe.

However, the real controversy surrounding Jos Verstappen stemmed from multiple domestic abuse allegations that shadowed his professional career. Although Jos never really made it to the forefront of the motorsports circuit, his son sure has carved his own legacy.

Who do you think among his parents deserves the most credit for Verstappen’s racing career? Let us know in the comment section below.