Max Verstappen reportedly had a tough childhood, not only because of all the racing but also because of the family issues back home. Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumoen got a divorce in 2008 after 12 years of marriage. The Dutchman, going back to memory lane, recalls the good times with his family before the divorce.
Verstappen recently interviewed with GQ Italia and opened up about his relationship with his parents. Speaking about Jos, he said, “I spent a lot of time with my father because we travel for races: he was my mechanic, built my engines, and was also my driving teacher.”
This photo of Max Verstappen with his mother, Sophie Kumpen pic.twitter.com/n6UINswExK
— catss (@eyoyeq) July 26, 2022
The 26-year-old gave an insight into his relationship with Sophie during childhood. He said, “With my mother, the atmosphere was much more relaxed, she wasn’t there to tell me how to take a corner but she always had a positive influence: she didn’t fill me with advice, rather she told me her opinion, which I listened to and took into account.”
Reminiscing the memories from the past with his parents, Verstappen recalled how he enjoyed the family dinners when everyone was together. He said, “Before they divorced, it was nice to find ourselves at dinner around the table and simply talk about racing.”
Jos and Sophie struggled to make their marriage work for multiple years. Things got worse after Jos retired from F1 in 2003. He wanted to continue racing in other categories and asked Kumpen to raise their children.
The two tried marriage counseling, but eventually fell out of love. As per Marca, Verstappen was charged for allegedly assaulting Sophie. Jos was found not guilty for the same but “was found guilty of threatening text messages and of violating a pre-existing restraining order.”
On the other hand, Max also had a tough time with his father during his childhood. Jos still gets criticism for being too harsh on the former. However, the Red Bull driver explained that his dad did all that because he knew what it took to become a world champion.
The Atmosphere is Better Within the Verstappen Family
Verstappen’s whole family attended the 2023 Dutch GP including his sister, grandmother, mother, and his GF Kelly Piquet. Everyone seemed to be getting along and celebrating the Dutchman winning his home race.
This meal is made by the best cook… pic.twitter.com/Tc4czAtZhg
— Max Verstappen (@Max33Verstappen) September 5, 2017
Jos isn’t a regular appearance in the F1 paddock now as he is occupied in rally racing these days. Nowadays, the family seems to have cordial relations as they occasionally have lunch together, including in a few episodes of Verstappen’s series, “Max Verstappen: Off the Beaten Track”
Jos later married Kelly van der Waal before getting a divorce and marrying his third wife Sandy Sijtsma. Meanwhile, Sophie’s current relationship status is unknown with sources suggesting she’s possibly single.
