Jos Verstappen opened up about the personality of his son, Max, claiming that the now four-time F1 world champion might appear to be arrogant, but he is rather direct than rude.
Having clinched the victory in all but one race in 2023 in an utterly dominant year for Red Bull, the Milton Keynes-based outfit started last year’s campaign in a similarly dominant fashion.
Max Verstappen won the opening two races in Bahrain and Saudi Arabia before retiring from the lead in Round 3 in Australia with a brake issue. However, he then went on to win in Japan, China, Imola, Canada and Spain to clinch seven victories in the opening ten races.
However, he then failed to win in the following ten rounds, but the São Paulo Grand Prix saw the Dutch driver emerge victories in wet weather conditions. The Dutch racer finally clinched the drivers’ title at the Las Vegas Grand Prix to become a four-time F1 world champion.
The Durch driver often stands out with his direct remarks and always says his opinion openly which polarizes people. While some consider him as arrogant, others like the way he communicates. His father Jos Verstappen denies that his son would be arrogant, claiming that the world champion is very different off the track compared to how he behaves while racing.
“I think so. He is not arrogant, but direct. Yes, always standing up for yourself was part of my upbringing. We always talk about role models for young people. I ask now: What is more of a role model?
“If you act behind people’s backs or openly say what you think and always stand by your personal values? I can only say: How Max behaves in public, how he bluntly says his opinion – that makes me just as extremely proud of my son as his sporting successes.
“Many people don’t know the real Max. On the track he is unconditionally aggressive, and he has to be. But in private he is a calm, extremely balanced, friendly soul. Someone who wants harmony and who listens carefully and then draws his conclusions.”
Recalling a conversation from the 2015 season, Verstappen continued: “2015, he was just 17 and driving his first season with Toro Rosso. We were sitting together in a hotel bar at the night race in Singapore. You and I, Bianca (Garloff; journalist), my daughter Victoria, who was in charge of his social media at the time, and Max.
“We talked about Formula 1. How quickly someone can be praised to the skies, but also how quickly the press can let them down again. We also talked about values.
“That it is crucial to always stand up for yourself in the end. Max did not seem to take part in the discussion, he was apparently just engrossed in his cell phone. Years later, he told me that he had listened carefully to the conversation.”
Jos Verstappen has been considered as an extremely strict father. While he reportedly left his son at a motorway service station because he had made a mistake in a kart race, he denies that the strory is ture.
“I think it’s time to clear up that story. The truth is: I didn’t leave him there. I just didn’t speak to him for a week. Was that too harsh? Not according to Max. He felt that my attitude had prepared him better for Formula 1.
“That’s why dealing with Helmut Marko, who is also known as an extremely tough guy, didn’t bother him anymore. He also appreciates the fact that we kept training with the kart on dry tires on a wet track. I only sense gratitude from him when it comes to his childhood with me.
Asked how much he was able to pass his own experiences on to Max, Jos Verstappen reckons that he has been able to influence his son’s mentality and approach to racing.
“That was extremely important. To be honest, I’m not proud of my career. People remember me because I was in the fireball at Hockenheim in 1994 when my car caught fire while refueling. I made mistakes: my team-mate at Benetton at the time was Michael Schumacher.
“He was extremely fast, extremely talented and the top dog in the team. I really wanted to drive as fast as him, especially in the race. But with my limited experience at the time, I couldn’t. So I made mistakes. I wanted to force my way through the wall. I told Max not to make that mistake,” Jos was quoted as saying by F1-insider.com.
