Jos Verstappen, father of Max Verstappen, made a bold statement in 2018, stating that his son was ready to win the F1 world championship at 21 years old. This declaration shocked the sports community, as Max had already debuted in F1 at 17 years old in 2015. Despite his young age, Red Bull had faith in Max’s abilities and believed he had the potential to become a future F1 champion. Over the years, Max Verstappen exceeded expectations and dominated the sport. Now, his father reaffirms that his son was prepared to win in F1 several years ago.
Max Verstappen, who is now 24 years old, clinched his first world title in 2021. However, according to Jos Verstappen, his son was already capable of achieving this feat in 2018, when he was only 21 years old. This statement may have seemed audacious at the time. However, it was precisely in 2018 that tensions between Max Verstappen and his then-teammate, Daniel Ricciardo, escalated, leading to Ricciardo’s departure from Red Bull.
When asked if Max Verstappen could further improve during the remaining races of the 2024 season, Jos Verstappen, a former F1 driver, acknowledged that experience can enhance a driver’s performance. However, he expressed uncertainty about his son’s potential for additional improvement. In his dominant campaign in 2023, Max Verstappen broke numerous records and achieved the status of a three-time world champion.
Throughout Max Verstappen’s life, his father has been a strong supporter of his dream to become a Formula 1 world champion. However, Jos Verstappen has faced criticism for his strict approach in shaping his son. In fact, there was an incident where he left his 14-year-old son at a gas station after losing a race. Despite these controversial methods, Jos Verstappen claims that Max has always had a relaxed attitude towards race preparation, almost as if he didn’t care. He describes this as his son’s “let’s see” approach.
Arguably, Max Verstappen’s approach has proven successful since his early days in karting. He quickly rose through the ranks of motorsport and eventually reached the pinnacle of F1. As a three-time world champion, he now aims to continue his winning streak and secure the fourth title this season.
