According to Jos, father to Max Verstappen, his son will probably be spending his whole Formula 1 career with Red Bull Racing.
Max Verstappen is in a hotly contested Championship battle with Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton this season. He has won eight races so far in 2021 and is currently 12 points ahead of Hamilton with five races to go.
Verstappen’s immediate future with Red Bull looks to be sorted. However, his contract reportedly has several performance related exit clauses in it.
He started his career with Red Bull’s sister team Toro Rosso and ever since his Red Bull F1 debut in Barcelona in 2016, he has spent his entire career with the Milton Keynes team.
Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen is a former F1 driver himself. He drove for the likes of Benetton, Tyrrell and Minardi during his time and stood on the podium twice. Jos has been a mentor to Max in his racing career ever since he drove karts.
The Max Verstappen culture fits with Red Bull, says Jos Verstappen
“We know what we have in common,” said the 49-year-old Dutchman. “Red Bull wants to be completely independent, which is the most beautiful thing there is. “They also know how good Max is – Mercedes doesn’t know that yet. And that might be a good thing.”
“How nice would it be if we started here, we are successful, and then eventually we stop here. Why not? As long as he has a winning car,” Jos told a Dutch magazine. “It just clicks between us and we have a good time.”
Jos Verstappen also feels that his son would be cruising towards the title had it not been for ‘things that were out of his control’. He also thinks that no one gets more out of their cars than his son Max does.
“Without Max, Lewis would have been world champion by now. Let’s be honest – Max gets a lot out of the car. That’s what makes him so spectacular. And that’s what people want to see.” “You see that we have a chance then. So I think we are really set up here for the future,”.
The Formula 1 season resumes this weekend when the sport returns to Mexico for the first time since 2019.