Recently, Jos Verstappen, father of four-time world champion Max Verstappen, was interviewed by F1-Insider, and during the conversation, he talked a lot about the Red Bull driver, touching on both sports and personal topics.
First, he revealed that he spent Christmas holidays alone because Max decided to go on a trip with his partner Kelly Piquet and their adopted daughter Penelope. The focus then shifted to Piquet, who, as the couple announced, is expecting a child.
On social media, Jos Verstappen is already being referred to as the world’s fastest grandfather, as the 52-year-old, despite no longer racing in Formula 1, has not left motorsport and just a few months ago triumphed at the Spa rally. Responding to this topic, the Dutchman said: “First of all, I’m about to become a grandfather for the fourth time. My daughter Victoria already has three children. I’m very happy, of course, and I hope everything goes well. I was 26 when I became a father for the first time, he was 27, so there are parallels.”
Speaking about Formula 1, the attention then turned to Max’s fourth title, which, according to many, was the hardest to achieve, partly due to the difficulties he faced during the year. His father commented: “Max was extremely good in 2023 too. But this year was harder for him because the car wasn’t the best on the grid, and he had to drive on the limit all the time. Without making mistakes. He did it very well. He always gave 100%. This year, people understood that Max can make the difference compared to the others.”
“Obviously, every title is special and valuable. The best one is always the first. Abu Dhabi 2021. When you win the title on the last lap, so to speak, you never forget it. Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton won’t like it. But I remember sitting in the pits with my son shortly after the race and replaying his career in fast-forward. It was an extremely beautiful and emotional moment for both of us. As for this year, of course, his race in the pouring rain in São Paulo stands out. He had to start from the back in extremely difficult conditions. It was easy to make a mistake, but Max just drove as if the rain wasn’t there. It was special.”
Looking ahead to the 2025 season, Jos isn’t sure if his son will secure his fifth title: “I still have some doubts about that. Red Bull needs to build a car that is easier to predict in all conditions. If you look at the second half of 2024, you can’t be optimistic. Red Bull didn’t manage to make the car consistently fast. So why should this year be any different?”
In conclusion, the topic turned to Jos Verstappen’s strictness. There has always been a rumor in the paddock that when Max was just a child and racing in Italy with karts, his father abandoned him at a gas station after he lost an important race. On this subject, the Dutchman finally wanted to clarify, saying: “I think it’s time to explain this story. The truth is: I didn’t leave him there. I didn’t talk to him for a week. Was it too harsh? Not according to Max. He felt more prepared for Formula 1 because of my behavior. Dealing with Helmut Marko, who is also considered extremely tough, didn’t bother him anymore. He also appreciated the fact that we repeatedly trained with the kart using dry tires on a wet track. All I hear from him is gratitude for his childhood with me.”
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