Max Verstappen’s mother Sophie Kumpen doesn’t travel to races as often as the Dutchman’s father Jos does. But, that isn’t to say that the 48-year-old doesn’t support her son when he is out on the track, breaking one record after the other. In fact, Kumpen has a ritual she follows before every one of Max’s races, that the latter once asked her to stop.
Kumpen revealed in an interview that she goes to church in her hometown of Hasselt (Belgium) before every Grand Prix Verstappen takes part in, and lights a candle.
She did this first when Verstappen won the 2016 Spanish GP, on his debut race for Red Bull. Since it was also his first F1 race win, Kumpen thought that there was something special linked to her going to the church.
“I think I’m doomed to light candles for the rest of my life in that chapel.” Sophie lighting candles for Max since Barcelona 2016. pic.twitter.com/Z2Pz1GzKrH
— bee (@maxlclrcs) May 12, 2024
Verstappen, however, doesn’t think it works. In the same interview, the 26-year-old said, “At a certain point, I told her to stop. Because it doesn’t work anyway.”
Kumpen, however, hasn’t paid heed to Verstappen’s request. She continues going to the same church even today, to light candles up for her son, who has come a long way since his win in Spain 2016.
Sophie Kumpen’s prayers on Max Verstappen worked wonders
Kumpen continued praying for Max Verstappen in the months and years to come following his debut win in 2016. Between that year and 2020, Red Bull was not as strong as Mercedes, which made Kumpen’s prayers futile, as Verstappen simply didn’t have the machinery to win races.
But in 2021, Verstappen finally fulfilled something that many thought was his destiny – winning the Drivers’ Championship.
The fact they still light up candles for Max all these years later pic.twitter.com/W1UJnm0QsK
— bee (@maxlclrcs) May 12, 2024
Since then, he has embarked on a dominant era, winning almost every single race in the years to follow. He won the Championship in 2022 and 2023, with the latter being a particularly dominant campaign. Verstappen won 19 out of 22 races in the calendar on his way to becoming a three-time World Champion.
Fast forward to 2024, and the 26-year-old continues creating history. His dominant grasp is not as tight as it was last season, with him losing two out of the six races so far. However, come the end of the season, he is expected to increase his tally of World Championships to four.
