mobile app bar

Jos Verstappen Jail: Max’s Father Once Almost Landed in Jail After Being Deemed Guilty of Assault

Vidit Dhawan
Published

Jos Verstappen Jail: Max's Father Almost Landed in Jail After Being Deemed Guilty of Assault

Jos Verstappen, the father of reigning F1 champion Max, has been in the news recently for all the wrong reasons. The 51-year-old recently faced the wrath of fans on social media after he blanked Sergio Perez, Max’s teammate, during the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix this past weekend

The Mexican was receiving congratulations from the entire Red Bull Racing team after he won the Saudi Arabian GP. However, one man that snubbed him completely was Jos.

Images of the same have since been going viral on social media. Several fans were shocked to see the extent to which Jos seemed to give Perez a cold shoulder.

However, it is pertinent to note that there is much more shocking news regarding the 51-year-old. This is because Jos Verstappen once almost landed in jail after he was deemed guilty of assault.

Jos Verstappen once almost landed in jail

According to Autosport.com, Jos Verstappen was deemed guilty of assault by a Belgian court back in 2000. Reports claim that the 51-year-old had fractured the victim’s skull during a go-karting incident. While in most instances Jos Verstappen would have been sentenced to jail for the same offence, he was given a lighter sentence because of Belgian law.

As per the law, a defendant can receive a lighter sentence if they have reached an out-of-court financial agreement with the victim. The report adds that Verstappen did not receive a harsh sentence as he had settled the matter outside of court. However, the ruling did state that the Dutchman needed to stay out of trouble for the next five years to avoid a jail sentence.

Jos has been accused of several offences previously

While the incident back in 2000 is the only time that Jos Verstappen was deemed guilty of assault, it is pertinent to note that there have been several other cases when he has been accused of various offences. However, none have been proven.

According to The Sun, Verstappen was arrested in December 2008 for the alleged assault of his ex-wife, Sophie Kumpen (Max’s mother). While the 51-year-old was eventually cleared of assault, he was found guilty of sending threatening messages. As a result, Verstappen was fined and sentenced to three months probation.

Three years later, Verstappen was accused of assaulting his unnamed 24-year-old girlfriend in a hotel room in Venlo, Holland. However, he denied these allegations, stating that there was only a minor altercation. Since no evidence was found, the charge was dropped and no further action was taken against him.

About the author

Vidit Dhawan

Vidit Dhawan

x-icon

Vidit Dhawan is the F1 writer and Editor at The SportsRush. He fell in love with the sport at first sight when F1 visited India in 2011. The noise and the racing action from lights out and away we go to the chequered flag are what keeps him at the edge of his seat at all times. Vidit has been a lifelong Fernando Alonso fan and sees Charles Leclerc as the future of the sport. Other than F1, he also follows football and tennis closely.

Read more from Vidit Dhawan

Share this article