“We Made a Wrong Decision”: Max Verstappen’s Father Talks How Partnering With Michael Schumacher Cost His Career

While Max Verstappen is slowly hailed as one of the greatest Formula 1 drivers, his father also had good potential. Like the Red Bull star, even Jos Verstappen captured the imagination of every Dutch racing fan. Though, he couldn’t meet their expectations.

However, Jos maintains that he made some huge mistakes in his career, which harmed his career. According to him, one of the biggest errors is partnering with Michael Schumacher.

Jos was a teammate of Schumacher at Benetton. While the latter won his maiden title, the father of the Red Bull star failed to adapt to the car in his rookie season, resulting in his constant cycle of struggle.

The biggest mistake was to partner with Michael Schumacher

In the documentary released by Viaplay on Max Verstappen, the second episode starts with Jos’ career in F1. The 51-year-old talked about his struggles and why he couldn’t become one of the best drivers ever despite his potential.

“I think we made a wrong decision in the first year next to Michael Schumacher,” said Jos in Anatomy of a Champion. “He was racing very well, and pressure was high.”

Verstappen further adds that Schumacher used to get all the attention. There was nobody to teach him and cover his weaknesses. Jos also blamed a bit of bad luck for his predicament.

The second generation should be better

Jos didn’t have a lengthy F1 career like Schumacher. He soon retired and started to take notice of his son’s rising interest in his son’s interest in motorsports.

Jos trained his son to be an F1 driver and was there in his every junior racing series. Though, some believe his father treated the two-time world champion quite harshly.

However, Jos often claims that his behavior was necessary to bring the best out of his kid. Seeing the Red Bull star’s success, the former Benetton driver makes a case for himself.