Ever since he was a little kid, Max Verstappen showed signs of incredible driving and highlighted a skill set not every 6-year-old possesses. Speaking to F1 Maximaal about when he first witnessed the Dutchman’s skills, F1 photographer Frits Van Eldik revealed he and Jos Verstappen were in awe of how “scary” the young driver looked in a kart.
Seeing the incredible strides a 6-year-old Verstappen made in the kart, his father, Jos Verstappen, saw it fit to downplay his son’s publicity. The move came as Verstappen Sr. wanted his son to not feel different from other children. As such, Van Eldik often took pictures of Verstappen Jr. but never did much of them.
Max Verstappen’s international karting career, sharing the podium with Charles Leclerc in (2012). pic.twitter.com/X0e11gIf5z
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Verstappen wanted to do nothing but race, irrespective of the weather conditions. Van Eldik recalled an incident from Genk, in extreme cold, where the driver wanted to drive his kart. The cold led to him becoming numb, but a quick 20-minute break to warm up in the back of a van was enough for Verstappen to want to go back on the track.
Now, many might say that this was because of the parenting style of Jos Verstappen, but Van Eldik quickly clarified otherwise. Max Verstappen made these choices by himself and was hard on himself from Day 1. His passion for driving was intrinsic rather than being forced onto him. Nonetheless, his father often collaborated with experts to ensure his son had the best development plan growing up.
Despite showing huge promise, Max Verstappen remained a humble soul
Jos Verstappen’s aim of never letting success get to his son’s head worked a little too well for him. Despite the extraordinary talent Verstappen possessed on track, he was always a normal kid who mostly kept to himself.
Recalling a humorous incident from when he first met Verstappen, Jonathan Wheatley revealed how a small-statured boy walked right into a glass wall. Wheatley jokingly added that was the moment he knew Verstappen would be a future world champion.
Max Verstappen dan Jonathan Wheatley berjalan menuju ruangan steward.
Masih sempat senyum sumringah #SingaporeGP pic.twitter.com/5bMtZd82wp
— Behind The Grandprix (@BTGrandprix) September 16, 2023
Verstappen has since become a three-time world champion but remains the humble personality he always was off the track. The Dutchman leads a simple lifestyle and does not believe in showing off. Meanwhile, out on the tracks, the 26-year-old is a different beast altogether.
He is relentless in his pursuit to achieve excellence and seldom settles for anything less. Despite standing as one of the highest-earning athletes in the world, the Red Bull driver continues to stay true to his roots and remain grounded.
