Background article: Jos + Max Verstappen

Published on 28 November 2005 by Thorsten Hendriks

Jos Verstappen: "When you've been at the top yourself, you can prepare you children better of what is coming."

He could come up with enough reasons why not to get involved in sport. He would be able to point out to his son how the struggle for power revolves around money. He could warn him for that chaotic life and the thousand nights in distant hotel rooms, many hours in an aeroplane and that awful jetlag. Warn him about the ruthless press who will scrutinise his whole life. And not to forget the danger. He would love to pamper his son and not expose him to the strange world of motorsport. All these are motivs to change his son's mind do not weigh against that one reason: support your child in whatever his/her choice may be. Max absolutely loves racing, he doesn't get pushed into doing things he doesn't want to. He is very eager, he needs to skip a week every now and then, just to ease him down. But then again the week after he is even more fanatic.

Max is only 8 years old and seems to be ready to follow in his father's footsteps. Everywhere he goes, he wins with ease. Jos thinks it is great, it's like he's watching a copy of himself: "the way he overtakes, that fanatasism, his views - he's like me. His driving is a bit more elegant though, I was a lot wilder on the track."

Jos Verstappen doesn't want to push his son. Max needs to stay a child for a while. At home in Maaseik (Belgium) playing with his friends is as important as a well filled trophy cupboard. His efforts at school have to get the same amount of attention as his progress on the track. Max wants to follow his dad in the motorsport. Like Damon Hill, Jacques Villeneuve and Nico Rosberg did.

"Max is serious about that. He sees himself driving an F1 car. He grew up with it. Does he know how difficult it is? I think he will be able to fullfill his dream. He has started fout years earlier than I did. I was eight before I stepped in a cart. Max already has an advantage over me. He has talent, the right attitude and another important thing in Formula One: because I have been part of F1 for a long time we don have plenty of contacts."

Even though Jos Verstappen says not to be making a decision, he does his best to let Max perform to his best abilities. They travel to tracks abroad for test sessions and the material he's driving is one of the best.
"The equipment doesn't mean everything. It is what you do with it. I know by experience how you setup a engine and car. This way you might be able to win a second per lap. Of course Max has a slight advantage, but it is the perfect way of teaching him. I am preparing him of what might be coming his way. It is lovely to see him do the things we discussed before the race.

No pressure for Max though, according to his dad - who in his turn has a very thick skin for the jealousy from the competitors. "We are being watched by them, but I don't care. I am not interested in what others think about me. I have worked very hard to be where I am at the moment and the same goes for Max."

© Patrick Delait, from the 'Limburgs Dagblad' (Dutch newspaper), Saturday 19-11-2005

Thorsten Hendriks