Max Verstappen is already an F1 legend and one of the most experienced drivers at the young age of 25, but his journey to the top included a very difficult childhood. We’ve heard stories of his father Jos Verstappen’s harsh treatment of him, but there were issues in his household even before his racing career began.
Jos Verstappen married Sophie Kumpen between 1996 and 2008, but their marriage was far from happy. The two of them shared a love for motor racing and were accomplished in their respective fields. Verstappen Sr. never made it big in F1 but was still a regular name in the sport. Kumpen was one of the best karting racers of her time, defeating future F1 champions like Jenson Button in races.
Happy Mother’s Day! ❤️ pic.twitter.com/MickvYdM26
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) May 13, 2018
However, after Verstappen Sr. hung up his helmet in F1, their marriage went downhill. As Business F1 reports, they realized they didn’t have much in common other than their shared love for racing. They only stayed behind for their children, Victoria and Max Verstappen.
Max Verstappen prevented his parents from splitting up
Jos Verstappen’s career ended in 2003, and things were not going smoothly between him and Kumpen. In front of the media, their relationship was seemingly stable but cracks began to appear soon. Business F1 states that Verstappen engaged in several affairs, which he unsuccessfully tried to hide from his life. Max Verstappen was just four years old, and his sister Victoria was two years younger when their father left F1.
When he was still cold after that, Jos claimed that he didn’t care, and Max should drive.
“He couldn’t move his fingers, and I didn’t care. I wanted to test things […], I wanted to move forward.”
Max claims he could barely hold the steering wheel anymore. /8— Lisa | #GrazieGio 🐝🇮🇹 (@isthisglock) December 4, 2021
By this time, Kumpen had shifted her focus entirely to raising her children, and she only did what was best for them. Out of all their differences, Verstappen Sr. and Kumpen stayed together only for their children.
Sophie Kumpen loved Jos Verstappen despite him having affairs
Even though their marriage was a failure and Verstappen had affairs with other women, Kumpen was reportedly still in love with her husband. She lived in denial and refused to admit that her husband could be unfaithful to her. However, once she directly caught him cheating on her, things were never the same in their household.
Still, they decided to stay together, only for their children’s sake. Being husband and wife afterwards still proved to be difficult, and they even tried marriage counselling to keep their marriage afloat.
Despite being married, the two ended up spending a lot more time apart. Max Verstappen, who was building a racing career of his own, found himself on the road with his father more often than not. Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen ended their troubled relationship in 2008, 12 years after getting married.
