Red Bull F1 star Max Verstappen’s father once went to jail for attempted murder on his ex-wife

Drivers in the competitive world of Formula One racing undergo strict scrutiny both on and off the track, thanks to the ever-watchful eye of the media. Max Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen has come under substantial criticism, with allegations of mistreatment towards the Dutch driver during his childhood.

In recent times, some media have taken a questionable approach by digging deep into the family’s history, which unearthed details that not only impacted Jos’ public image but also cast a shadow on Max Verstappen’s reputation.

Max Verstappen’s father once went to jail for attempted murder

Jos Verstappen, an ex-former F1 driver as well as the father of the three-time World Champion, has faced legal issues with the Dutch authorities on multiple occasions. During a separation from his wife in 2008, Jos Verstappen faced legal issues for violating a restraining order and threatening his wife.

He cleverly avoided jail time by paying a fine and serving three months of probation. Within a few years, he committed another serious crime, which could have put his son’s career in jeopardy.

In 2012, the senior drove a car into his ex-wife, who at the time was his girlfriend, during a heated argument. He was then arrested on an attempted murder charge, but he managed to escape the scene. Despite Kelly suffering heavy bruises, charges against Verstappen were eventually dropped, leading to his release after his two-week jail term. Subsequently, he got back with his partner, and they married in 2014. However, the couple got separated in 2017 and have a daughter together.

He was managing his son’s karting career at the time. The Dutchman admitted that his son’s visit to the jail caused him to rethink and modify his actions.

Max Verstappen’s father accused of being an ‘abusing father’ to Max

Jos Verstappen has been incredibly supportive of his son’s achievements since the beginning of his career. However, his approach to training and disciplining the young driver during his childhood raised some serious allegations against him.

Jos was aware of his son’s driving capabilities since he was seven years old but refused to unveil them to Verstappen at that time to avoid excessive commendation. A recently released documentary titled “Anatomy of a Champion,” produced by Viaplay, features key people involved in nourishing Verstappen’s career, including Jos, Benetton, Simtek, Tyrrell, Footwork, Minardi, and Arrows driver, who refused any claims of being excessively strict on his parenting and teaching methods.

Jos said, “There are people who say I’m a bad father because I abused my child; I never abused him!”

“I raised him. I was hard on him. That was my plan; many people cannot imagine what it takes to reach the absolute top level of a sport.”

Furthermore, he admitted by saying, “I know I’m not the easiest person to work with, and I demanded a lot from Max.”

“But he was able to endure it all. He has always been mentally very strong.”

Do you think Jos Verstappen’s parenting methods were fair to Max as a child? Tell us more about your opinions in the comment section below.