Jos Verstappen has become a famous personality in the F1 realm because of his off-beat parenting style with Max Verstappen. Teaching him to chase perfection no matter the cost, Verstappen Sr. would go to extreme lengths to make sure his son understood the lesson. Seeing one of the most dominant performances in the sport’s history, many would assume that it would finally satisfy the father. However, F1 Maximaal reports he still has a concern about the two-time defending world champion’s attitude.
Back in 2021, when Verstappen was two points behind Lewis Hamilton in the driver’s championship, the Dutchman showed the carefree side of him in front of the media. Speaking about the pressure and expectations that came with being a few points away from a potential championship, Verstappen said he did not care about the outcome as it would have little effect on his personal life. For Jos Verstappen, it is his son’s carefree attitude that does not sit well with him.
Max Verstappen still not ‘perfect’ for his father
A mere three points from the Sprint session in Qatar and Max Verstappen will be a three-time World Champion, equaling some of the greats such as Ayrton Senna and Niki Lauda. Having had a near-perfect season where he has been on the podium on all but one occasion, F1 Maximaal reports Jos Verstappen as having a problem with the way his son approaches the sport that earns him a living, which the son admitted himself.
“I used to have quite a few discussions with my father about this. He thought I was too relaxed. He wanted me to be more on top of things. I think I learned a lot from talking to him, but I’m still pretty much the same.”
Given the lack of seriousness in his approach to racing in F1, Verstappen also revealed his father is often more worried about things, especially before a race, than him. The tension went so far that the extent of it was that Verstappen Sr. often thought his son would become a truck driver if he did not improve his attitude.
Verstappen was once worried his son might soon be driving a truck
Following his first-ever world title, the Dutchman recalled his father’s words about his complacency in a documentary about his life. “I am relaxed, which my father did not like very much. How many times have I heard that I would become a truck driver? Because I was so relaxed and sometimes lazy, according to him.” However, it might be the carefree attitude that has helped Verstappen dominate the field the way he did in 2023.
Having earned back-to-back titles in 2021 and 2022, the focus was on Verstappen to achieve a three-peat. As the season began, we saw one of the most ruthless forms of the Dutchman, who went on to win ten races in a row before losing out on the podium in Singapore. With a lead of 177 points in the driver’s standings, three points in the Sprint session in Qatar are all he needs to be able to call himself a three-time World Champion.
