We often hear stories about how Max Verstappen suffered a horrible childhood because of his father Jos’ harsh treatment. However, the latter insisted that his being hard and strict with his son is what made him the driver he is today, although the majority of the fans don’t agree with him.
Even keeping Max aside, Jos Verstappen is a very controversial character. He was an F1 driver back in his racing days but was barely in the news because of his achievements on the track. Instead, he was under the spotlight because of incidents like assaulting women or sending threatening messages to them. In fact, he was once charged with physically assaulting Max’s mother, Sophie Kumpen.
In ‘98, Jos Verstappen was involved in an incident at a karting track in which a man suffered a fractured skull.
In ‘08, Verstappen was fined/sentenced to 3-mths suspended jail time for assault involving his ex-wife.
He is still in the @F1 pit lane—& his presence is celebrated. pic.twitter.com/itPVxuKSeE
— Late Brakers (@LateBrakers) November 20, 2021
Earlier this week Jos was in the news once again after being detained by the police following a brawl at a club, that left him seriously injured. These incidents that he keeps being in the limelight for, are having an effect on his son Max’s image, even though he isn’t remotely similar.
Max Verstappen is not like his father, Jos Verstappen
Max Verstappen made his F1 debut in 2015 at the age of 17. He has developed a reputation for being an ultra-aggressive driver on the track, with a hunger to win “at all costs”. Off the track, however, he has never been involved in scandals like his father, which people often forget.
Verstappen may be an aggressive driver determined to put his elbows out while racing in F1. Away from the sport, he does not get involved in anything that could possibly tarnish his image, unlike his father. Verstappen Sr. behaving poorly has a lasting effect on how his son is seen.
Your regular reminder: Jos Verstappen is a violent piece of shit & should be banned from the paddock.
He’s been convicted of assault (fracturing a man’s skull), sending threats, & violating a restraining order against Max’s mom.
F1 (rightly!) banned Piquet; it can ban Jos.— 🏳️🌈 Bee 🏳️🌈 (@bee_chicory) March 18, 2023
Often, people feel that since Max spent most of his childhood with his father, he turned out like him. However, it has to be taken into account that even though Jos Verstappen worked hard to help his son reach F1, his son his nothing like him.
Verstappen is a much better version of his father
As pointed out by Paul Velasco of GrandPrix247, Verstappen is much more similar to his mother Sophie Kumpen. Kumpen herself, comes from a sporting family and even though she didn’t make it to F1, she was a force to reckon with in the karting circuit.
Former world champion Jenson Button recalled how Kumpen once defeated her in karting. Jos Verstappen on the other hand, is not remembered for his racing exploits. He has two podium finishes in his underwhelming F1 career, but it is unlikely that he would be in the news today if it wasn’t for his son Max.
Verstappen Sr. was in police custody after getting involved in a club fight earlier this week, but has since been released. It is safe to say that he is a huge liability to his son, due to his constant habit of being found guilty of major misdemeanors.
