Max Verstappen has established himself as one of the top F1 drivers today with three championships and 54 race victories to his name at the age of just 26. A huge amount of credit for the same goes to his parents, who also have been racers. Here is a deeper look at who are Max Verstappen’s parents and some frequently asked questions about the young Dutchman’s family.
Did Max Verstappen’s parents race in F1?
Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, is a former F1 driver. The 51-year-old began karting at the age of eight and won two European titles during his young age. After having a fairly successful karting career, Jos was also successful in the lower Formula categories.
His breakthrough year came in 1993 when he won the German Formula Three Championship. Just a year later, he made his Formula 1 debut with Mild Seven Benetton Ford.
Jos competed in F1 for nine years but was unable to replicate the success he had in the lower Formula categories. His biggest achievement perhaps has been his victory at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans with Van Merksteijn Motorsport.
Meanwhile, Max’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, is also a former racing driver. However, unfortunately like her husband and son, she never made it as far as F1 despite being extremely quick during her younger days.
The simple reason is her marriage with Jos Verstappen. After marrying the former Benetton driver, Kumpen quit racing in 1996 and focused on spending time with her two children, Max and Victoria.
As far as Kumpen’s racing exploits go, she has competed against some of the biggest names. They include the likes of 2009 F1 champion Jenson Button, and former Renault drivers Jarno Trulli and Giancarlo Fisichella.
What does Sophie Kumpen now do for a living?
Since Sophie Kumpen no longer races, the question that arises is what does she do for a living. She now works as an interior designer but not much information is available about her business activities.
As per her Instagram account, she now prefers to live a very private life ever since she became a grandmother. On her social media account, she has written that she is a proud granny to Luka and Lio, the children of her daughter, Victoria.
Are Max Verstappen’s parents’ together?
Max Verstappen and his sister, Victoria, have not enjoyed the best of childhoods due to the tumultuous relationship of their parents. Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen had an ugly marriage that ended when they got divorced in 2008.
In Max Verstappen’s Viaplay docuseries, Max Verstappen: Anatomy of a Champion, Victoria explains the fights her parents had during her childhood. Moreover, several other shocking reports are also widespread about Jos and Sophie’s ugly marriage.
The Sun put out a report back in 2008 that Jos was arrested for allegedly assaulting his ex-wife Sophie. Although the 51-year-old was cleared of all charges, he was deemed guilty of sending Sophie threatening messages. As a result, the court fined and sentenced Jos to three months of probation.
Have Max Verstappen’s parents celebrated his world championships?
Both of Max Verstappen’s parents have undoubtedly played a pivotal role in helping their son become the dominant driver that he is today in F1. Had it not been for Jos’ harsh parenting, the young Dutchman perhaps would have found it difficult to become as ruthless as he is on the race track.
And now that the 26-year-old is a three-time F1 world champion today, Jos believes that his son deserves all the credit. While speaking in an interview (as quoted by formula1.com), the 51-year-old said, “I’m just very happy how he does it, how strong he is and the way he works for that [success]. The credit is definitely for Max“.
Although Max is 26 now and is definitely capable of handling himself, Jos still continues to support him at every step of the way. The former Benetton driver was also in the Red Bull garage when his son won his first world championship back in 2021. The pictures of the duo went viral as they celebrated the emotional moment.
Similarly to Jos, Sophie has also played a vital role in helping Max achieve success. While she may not have helped Max as much as Jos did when it comes to his racing career, she definitely helped her son emotionally and provided all the support she could.
Every time that Max gets out on the race track, Sophie has revealed that she prays for her son. Her ritual involves her lighting a candle and praying that her son achieves the success he desires on the race track.
Where is Max Verstappen’s family from?
Although Max Verstappen has a Dutch driving license and spent most of his time in the Netherlands, he also has Belgian roots thanks to his mother. The 26-year-old was born in Bree, Belgium, and also spent a part of his childhood in this city. As for his parents, Jos was born in Montfort, Netherlands. Meanwhile, Sophie was born in Hasselt, Belgium.
Did Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen marry other people?
Since Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen had a divorce, the obvious question that arises is whether they married someone else. Although Sophie never married again, Jos did have two other marriages.
Jos was married to Kelly van der Waal between 2014 and 2017. They are blessed with a daughter, Blue Jaye.
After splitting with Kelly, Jos is now married to Sandy Sijtsma. They are blessed with a son, Jason Jaxx, and a daughter, Mila Faye.
Does Max Verstappen have a sibling?
Max Verstappen has a sister, Victoria. She is currently in a relationship with Tom Heuts and are blessed with two children, Luka and Lio. Meanwhile, Max also has a stepbrother, Jason Jaxx, and two step sisters: Blue Jaye and Mila Faye.
Who is Max Verstappen’s partner?
Max Verstappen has been in a long-term relationship with his girlfriend, Kelly Piquet. The Brazilian model is the daughter of three-time F1 champion, Nelson Piquet. She began dating Verstappen sometime in 2020 and made their relationship official via a social media post on New Year’s Day in 2021.
Does Max Verstappen have children?
Max Verstappen does not have children but he is the stepfather of his girlfriend’s daughter, Penelope. Before dating the Dutchman, Kelly Piquet was in a relationship with former F1 driver Daniil Kvyat. The two began dating in 2017 before splitting in December 2019.
