Growing up with divorced parents, Max Verstappen revealed the painful effects of his family splitting up as a nine-year-old. His sister confessed that Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen fought a lot in their relationship, ultimately piling up to the painful divorce.
Verstappen’s ViaPlay docu-series provides a glimpse of the failing relationship. While the split happened when Verstappen was nine, looking back as an adult, he explained, “I was nine years old. It’s not a nice age because you realize everything. That family feeling is gone, you know, it’s like broken.”
Max Verstappen spills the household secrets
In an old clip used in the docu-series, a young Verstappen is seen having a private moment in the washroom, while a cameraman takes a tour of the Verstappen house. Going into the master bedroom, the narrator stated, “This is where Sophie and Jos sleep.”
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Overhearing this misinformation from the restroom, a young Verstappen simply stated: “no.” Puzzled, the man behind the camera pans to Verstappen, where they have a mini-interview with Verstappen sitting on the toilet.
Explaining that it’s his mom and sister that sleep on the bed, Verstappen was then asked where he and his father sleep. Verstappen then points to another room, possibly the children’s room, where he and Jos used the bunk bed.
Although a sad conversation to have with the young child, the visual of Verstappen with his little pants bunched around his ankles while in the restroom, juxtaposes the seriousness of it all. Further, the nonchalance and innocence with which he explains the arrangements of his house, shows how normal it had all become for him.
Verstappen takes the blame for broken marriage
Max Verstappen’s love for racing runs deep within his veins, with his father Jos Verstappen being instrumental in introducing him to karting, and his fellow karter Sophie Kumpen constantly motivating him towards greatness.
However, the road to success was not always a smooth one for the Verstappens. During an interview after winning his first title, Max opened up about the emotional weight of his victories, reflecting on the struggles and challenges that have accompanied his journey to the top.
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“It’s truly incredible. Not only for me but also for my whole family because they also had to live for me. My dad was away a lot; probably cost the marriage, and also my sister. She missed me, she missed her dad because my dad was always with me.”
Despite the challenges he faced, Verstappen discovered that winning the championship brought a sense of relief, easing the burden he carried on his shoulders.
However, his childhood played a crucial role in shaping him into the most formidable driver that F1 has seen in recent times. With the mere sight of the Dutch Lion in their mirrors, his rivals tremble with fear, as Verstappen is an unstoppable force that is nearly impossible to defend against, let alone overtake.