Jos Verstappen never achieved stardom in F1, driving for sub-par teams, which limited him to the midfield. But when his son Max was born, Jos wanted a very different career for him. He molded him into a three-time World Champion but as he reflected on their journey, Jos realized that he was never as good as Max.
Max, since Red Bull first fielded a Title-winning car on the grid in 2021, has dominated the sport. No driver on the grid came close to threatening him, especially in 2022 and 2023, when he won the Title with multiple races to spare.
Initially, Jos felt that he never achieved what Max did because he started on a weaker team, unlike Max. However, his stance has since changed. He said to De Telegraf,
“I started right with a top team [Benetton], and that might not be ideal. But at the same time, of course, you don’t say no to such an opportunity. I’m sure I was good enough for Formula 1. But I doubt if I also had the qualities to become a world champion. Especially when I see Max driving now, I sometimes wonder if I was good enough“.
random fun fact for today. the Netherlands has 109 podiums in F1. 107 of them belong to max verstappen. the other two are from Jos Verstappen. pic.twitter.com/VaKmjnx5Aw
— nini (@SCUDERIAFEMBOY) July 17, 2024
Jos also realized that he was never as successful as his son because he didn’t have a teacher. Moreover, Max rose to the top thanks to the wealth Jos accumulated during his time in F1.
Jos, however, admitted that he will always be proud of his achievements and also the investments he made in Max’s career. “I’ve never cut back on anything, because what Max has achieved after that still makes me very proud,” the 52-year-old concluded.
Despite being just 26, Max has had a better F1 career than his father, and most in the sport’s history. With 61 wins and three Titles, he could end up breaking all records in the years to come.
