The anecdotes about Jos Verstappen’s stern parenting toward Max Verstappen have often marred his reputation. There was one infamous incident where the former Benetton driver left his son at a gas station for not winning a race in karting. But Jos recently revealed that emerging victorious in every race was never a strict mandate he set for Max.
“I could also be satisfied with a second place. If he had done everything he could and the material was not good or due to other circumstances, then I would also have been satisfied with a second place,” Jos stated in an interview with Verstappen.com.
As a racer himself, the 52-year-old understood his son’s perspective well enough to determine whether a loss was due to his mistakes or other mitigating factors beyond his control. Still, Jos’ strict upbringing helped shape the aggressive demeanor that Max carries even today while racing.
“He kicked me out and he drove off … and this is in the south of Italy.”
Max Verstappen recalls when his father Jos left him at a gas station after a karting mistake at 14 years old and how it molded him into the man and world champion we see today. https://t.co/k9vFkiEbEy
— ESPN F1 (@ESPNF1) May 5, 2022
The Red Bull driver doesn’t like to settle for second and is willing to push to the absolute limit to secure a race win. Jos revealed that Max possessed these qualities from a very young age, which helped him recognize his son’s talent early on.
He also revealed how Max got a liking for motorsport and racing. “Max played with cars as a baby and when he started to understand it a little, he followed Formula 1 on television,” he stated.
On top of that, Max knew that his father was a racing driver competing in F1. So, that turned out to be a natural motivation for him to follow in his father’s footsteps. While Jos could not muster any major accolades in the sport with zero Grand Prix wins and championships, his son is breaking every possible record as a three-time world champion.
