The 2024 F1 season was a difficult year for Max Verstappen because of the struggles he faced with the RB20’s balance coupled with the intense competition he faced from his rivals to defend his title. With the Dutchman coming out on top despite all these struggles, even his father Jos Verstappen was left impressed.
When asked if he ever gives his son any advice on how to tackle the various challenges he faces on track, Jos told Formule1.nl, “I always give Max my opinion, how I look at things. But actually, I don’t even have to do that. We think pretty much the same. Max is not much different from me, how we think about things. Only he is neater, calmer, and a bit more balanced“.
Max on receiving criticism for the crash in Austria:
️ “I don’t give a sh—t about that, I go home, I live my life.”
“For me, the only thing that I care about is maintaining my relationship with Lando because we are great friends.” pic.twitter.com/GQUyQjKGoc
— Verstappen News (@verstappenews) July 4, 2024
Back in his day, Jos was feared up and down the paddock for his outspoken personality. And while he feels his son isn’t as aggressive as he was, he knows his son is firm enough to get his point across.
Max’s supreme focus aided his title bid in 2024
For Max, his battles more often than not spilled off the track. After his controversial clash with Lando Norris at the Austrian GP, the #4 driver went as far as to say that he’d lose all respect for the Dutchman if he did not apologize.
While Verstappen did not apologize, he calmed the tensions between him and Norris by discussing the incident personally with the Briton after the race. Controversy then again struck for Verstappen at the 2024 Qatar GP as he called out Mercedes’ George Russell.
Feeling let down by Russell’s efforts to land him a penalty, Verstappen said he’d lost all respect for him. Russell fired back by calling him a bully.
However, despite all these tensions, when it came to race day, Verstappen kept his head down and focused on the task at hand. It is this supreme focus that played a critical role in helping him win his fourth consecutive title.
