Max Verstappen is 25 years old and has already secured 2 F1 championships. The Dutchman is one of the most formidable drivers of the current generation and, arguably, the best driver on the grid.
Verstappen dominated the 2022 season by winning 15 of the 22 races. He broke Michael Schumacher’s record for most race wins in a season and set a new record for most points scored in a year.
It is possible that in the coming years, the Red Bull prodigy could level several of Schumacher’s records. Nevertheless, his mother claims the former Ferrari driver will be proud to see his ‘nephew’ match his numbers.
Verstappen’s mother shares Schumacher’s fondness for young Max
Max Verstappen considered the 7x world champion Michael Schumacher as his “uncle.” Turns out Schumi was a very close friend of the Dutchman’s father, Jos Verstappen. The two were also teammates at Benneton during the 1994 season.
Max’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, also comes from a racing family. The Belgian was a former kart driver and had previously raced with the likes of Jenson Button, Nick Heidfeld, Jarno Trulli, and Giancarlo Fisichella.
Kumpen revealed in a Dutch program about Schumacher’s liking for the youngster. She shared pictures of the German holding Verstappen and his son Mick while the two families were on holiday.
She said, “Michael was always very sweet to Max.” Moreover, the German was keen on seeing young Verstappen start karting just as much as his parents.
Schumi and Verstappen Senior were even seen once talking about the possibility of their sons facing off in F1 sometime in the future. The duo claimed they would be extremely proud if that happened, but it could also be the first time the friends would argue.
Max Verstappen talks about memories of Michael Schumacher
In a previous interview, Max Verstappen shared his memories of Michael Schumacher. He knew the F1 GOAT since age 3 and said, “I just knew him as Uncle Michael. He was very nice.”
Unlike F1 fans who hail the legend as the greatest of all time, Verstappen just knows him as a “family man.” He said, “I never saw him as a world champion, I wasn’t aware of that either. You can see that in the old photos and videos that we have at home.”
The Verstappens and Schumachers had a close connection. The two families often spent their holidays together.“It was great. I still have positive memories of those weekends today,” the Red Bull driver recalled.
Verstappen also used to do go-karting with his father, Schumacher, and his kids at the Kerpen track. He even said he was proud to faceoff with Mick in F1 after knowing him since childhood.
Based on their cars so far, Red Bull comfortably dominated F1 for a few years. With the 2x champions’ contract extending until 2028, Verstappen could come very close to breaking Schumi’s tally of 7 titles.
