There is nothing greater than achieving lifelong success and having your father by your side to share in the celebration. Fathers often play a vital role in mentoring their children by passing on their wisdom and knowledge for the betterment of their future, a guidance that can never be replaced by any other being in the world.
For Max Verstappen, it was his father, Jos Verstappen, who served as his guiding light and the source of inspiration, which resulted in the Dutch driver earning his current status as the ultimate formidable force in the F1 industry.
Verstappen’s father stands by hard treatment
In a YouTube video posted a year ago, an interview was taken with the Dutch sensation Max Verstappen and his father, Jos Verstappen called “Keeping Up with the Verstappens, ft. David Coulthard—The Day After in Abu Dhabi.”
In the video, a short insight is provided by the duo on how Jos’s tough parenting has proved to be fruitful for the three-time World Champion now. When asked about his fathering instincts to help his son drive currently, Jos replied with, “Well I don’t think I need to teach him anymore, anything. I did it before his uh-” to which Verstappen interrupted by saying ” Well he also asked me to shut up a few times before as I was always asking questions when I was little in the van like driving back.”
The interview has revealed to the audience a plethora of information about the F1 Superstar and the father that made him into the skilled driver he is now, despite the criticism the Dutch driver faced all these years. Jos shares how proud he was of Verstappen since he entered the World of F3, securing back-to-back success despite his young age. According to him, watching your flesh and blood achieve greater success than you had in your career was a huge deal to Jos.
At the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, both of Verstappen’s parents were filled with tension throughout the entire event. Verstappen even made a lighthearted comment about how his mother had to visit the washroom a few times due to the stressful atmosphere of the Grand Prix. Jos expressed his feelings, saying, “It was incredibly exciting; you know, there were tears in my eyes, a mix of excitement and nerves as everything came together.” He shared these emotions when reflecting on the moment Verstappen shifted the spotlight onto himself at Turn 5, using his fresh soft tires to overtake Lewis Hamilton. This victory ensured him his first World Drivers’ Championship.
Max said after the race, Hamilton came up to him and congratulated him on his success. He said, “It was nice that Lewis immediately came to me and said well-done congrats and I said thank you very much for an amazing season. At the end of the day, I think it was an amazing season, whoever won or came second because we did push each other every single race to the limit with ourselves but also the car and the whole team.”
Apart from that, they also shared nostalgic moments while reminiscing about the times when Jos had to be strict for Verstappen’s career to flourish. The entire video is quite lengthy, but it’s undoubtedly worth watching.
When did Max Verstappen start his racing career
Max Verstappen was born in Hasselt, Belgium in 1997. As early as 2003, he was a frequent presence on the racetracks of Genk, Belgium, honing his karting skills.
The pivotal moment in the driver’s career came in 2005 when he took a significant step by entering his first championship, the Belgium Championship Mini (VAS), where he achieved an exceptional record by winning all 21 races.
In 2013, Verstappen dominated the world of karting, achieving victory in the 2013 World KZ Championship held at Varennes-sur-Allier in France. Following this triumph, he transitioned to single-seater racing and made his debut in the inaugural Florida Winter Series. It didn’t take long for Van Amersfoort Racing to recognize his exceptional talent and invite him to compete in the fiercely competitive FIA Formula 3 European Championship.
At the tender age of 16, Verstappen entered the world of the F3 Championship. He delivered a remarkable performance, securing his sixth race victory early in the season and going on to achieve an incredible streak of six consecutive wins in the series, ultimately placing him in the third position in the overall standings.
Do you think Verstappen is naturally talented since birth or was it his hard work that paid off in the last few years? Tell us in the comment section below.
