Once Cursing Him to Be a Bus Driver, Jos Verstappen Atones for His Comment on F1 King Max Verstappen

Jos Verstappen has become an infamous figure in the F1 world, owing largely to his strict approach when it came to getting Max Verstappen ready for the big leagues when he was still a child. During the three-time world champion’s karting days, Verstappen Sr. would use all sorts of negative reinforcements to motivate his son to achieve nothing but the best.

One such example came when Verstappen Sr. told Verstappen Jr. that he would one day become a truck or a bus driver, given the way he drove the kart. Another came when the 51-year-old left his son alone at a gas station in South Italy after the young kid made a mistake that cost him the Karting Championship.

 

“He was so dominant this year, I am very proud of that!”

Jos Verstappen reacts to his son Max Verstappen winning his 3rd consecutive F1 World Championship pic.twitter.com/mfA9yGGGD5

— Sky Sports News (@SkySportsNews) October 7, 2023

However, that all has changed now, as Jos Verstappen admitted to PlanetF1 that he is immensely proud of everything his son has achieved in F1. “I dreamed of this, of course, but to achieve what he’s doing at the moment, his level, it’s very impressive.” The proud dad added, “I know he was good from the beginning onwards, but he’s exceeded that.”

Having paved the way for his son to become a three-time world champion, the Dutchman believes his hard work with his son has paid off and hopes Max Verstappen can continue winning more championships before he steps away from the sport.

While many would label Verstappen Sr.‘s ways wrong, his son took them in the most positive way possible. The reigning world champion admitted to his father’s demeanor, making him feel like what he was doing back then wasn’t enough, and it filled him with the fuel he needed to keep going on and improving as much as he could.

Max Verstappen is an unforgiving force because of his father

Despite drawing immense flak for his parenting style, Verstappen Sr. has always defended himself over his treatment of his son. The Dutchman believes he treated his son hard because Verstappen Jr. “needed that.” He claimed that his strict approach laid the foundation for Max Verstappen to be where he is. “I was hard on him, and I was strict, but because of that, he has become what he is. Max [Verstappen] came to F1 with a lot of confidence and was not afraid of anything.”

 

Pure dominance from Max Verstappen in 2023 pic.twitter.com/797pFJSZqr

— Sky Sports F1 (@SkySportsF1) November 27, 2023

With each of them struggling during the early days of the three-time world champ’s career, both drivers had the foundation that helped them climb the highest highs of success and achieve their respective goals in the world of sports. While the relationship might have gone through a rocky phase, the father-son duo now share a healthy relationship, full of respect and admiration for each other’s achievements.