Max Verstappen revealed that his father Jos’ tough love made him the World Champion he is today, but F1 fans don’t see eye to eye.
Verstappen is just 24-years but has been in Formula 1 for eight seasons now. He was always labeled as a World Champion in the waiting and he finally achieved that last year.
The 2021 campaign was a hardly fought between Verstappen and Mercedes’ Lewis Hamilton. The two drivers went into the final race of the season level on points, and the former just about managed to clinch his first World Title.
Throughout the campaign, his determination and maturity earned plenty of plaudits. His ability to keep calm in the toughest of situations, helped him stand out from the rest of the grid.
Max became a champion despite what his father did to him, not because of it.
— Alice (@alice_nyoom) May 5, 2022
In an interview, Verstappen revealed what made him strong as a competitor in F1 today. He recalls a mistake he made during his karting days, after which father Jos was absolutely furious. The Red Bull star’s father left him alone in a gas station in Italy, and drove away in fury. There were several instances where Verstappen Sr. treated his son in a way most people would consider harsh.
As scary as it sounds, Verstappen admits that his father’s tough love is what made him the F1 Champion he is today. F1 fans however, don’t agree with this.
Fans feel that Max Verstappen was treated unfairly by his father
When Verstappen shared details of that encounter in South Italy during his karting days, fans found it hard to digest. Some even went as far as saying that Jos Verstappen’s treatment of his son was borderline ‘child abuse.’
I respect your work but please don’t try to celebrate bad parenting and abusive behaviour just because Max ended up being a successful person himself
— Melina (@melina_marts) May 5, 2022
“Of course I was in tears,” Max Verstappen recalled. “Because I knew that I had thrown it away and I knew my dad was upset with me. And not wanting to do anything or help me anymore.”
leaving your child at a gas station because of a karting mistake isn’t motivational it’s just reckless behaviour https://t.co/yx0xzSLvAz
— niran (@TheOfficialFNG) May 5, 2022
“Of course, when we sat in the van, I wanted to talk to my dad about the incident. But of course, I kept on trying to have a conversation until at one point he pulled off at a fuel station and said, ‘Get out. Get out and I do not want to hear you anymore’. So he kicked me out and he drove off. And this is in the south of Italy.”
Verstappen won the 2021 World Championship, and the first person he embraced was his father. They shared a touching moment after the race, and the Dutch driver cites as dad as the reason why he’s such a good driver today.
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