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The journey of a Formula 1 driver begins at a very tender age. A go-kart track is where they get their first experience and the love affair of racing begins. It is here, at the springboard to Formula 1, that a driver must shine. Max Verstappen is one of those drivers who shone.
The Red Bull driver clinched the world title in 2021 and celebrated glory with his father. He quickly recognized Jos Verstappen’s “tough love” as the secret to his success.
The Verstappen duo traveled from circuit to circuit as a unit. Even when Max was winning a race, his father was his harshest critic. The 50-year-old Dutchman was a former F1 driver, and racing was also second nature to him.
Watch Mick Schumacher and Max Verstappen face off during #SilverstoneGP reminded me of that clip where Michael Schumacher and Jos Verstappen were asked what they would do if their kids wanted to get into Formula 1 pic.twitter.com/6Tbsu0XoMw
— Alee (@brigadier_pepsi) July 3, 2022
Jos Verstappen made his F1 debut at the 1994 Brazilian GP and completed driver training at Benetton with Michael Schumacher. The Dutchman failed to win a Grand Prix in his 9 years at the pinnacle of motorsport and retired in 2003 to focus on managing his son’s career.
On his Red Bull debut in 2016, Max showed his raw talent and pace by winning the Spanish GP and establishing himself as the new threat in the paddock. Last year he beat Lewis Hamilton in a season-long fight to go down in the history books. Helmut Marko shared what sets his rookie apart from the rest.
The Red Bull adviser said: “He had a good education, but also very, very difficult in karting with his father. Jos was a fast Formula 1 driver, but he made many mistakes and tactically he was also unlucky that his first teammate was Michael Schumacher.
“But the good thing is that he realized all those mistakes and learned the right lessons from those mistakes. This is how Max came out of the kart era much more mature than most,” he concluded.
Racing genes run in Max Verstappen’s blood
The Dutch pilot was only 2 years old when he started driving quads in his garden. His father started his relationship with karting when he was 4 years old. Therefore, three years later, he brought her her first silverware.
This is not surprising as both parents of the reigning world champion were runners themselves. Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, started karting when she was 10 years old. Six years later, she qualified for the Formula A World Championship and then competed in the Karting World Championship. She notably beat the former F1 driver, Giancarlo Fisichella.
DIVE DEEPER
When Jos Verstappen realized his son’s exceptional talent, he parted ways with the Arrow F1 team. He spared no effort to help his prodigy reach the pinnacle of motorsport. At first, the Dutch father worked on the engine of the kart, while his son worked on his racing machine.
At the end of the Abu Dhabi GP, the Verstappen duo celebrated together. The world champion’s father wore the hoodie reading “21st World Champion, Max Verstappen”. That day in the Middle East, the proud dad lived his dream through his son’s triumph.
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