Autohebdo July 15, 2026 – Interview with Jos Verstappen by Cyprien Juilhard
While you were driving for Tyrrell, on a Tuesday in late September 1997, two days after competing in the Luxembourg Grand Prix at the Nürburgring, Max was born. Tell us about that crazy week…
There was a race the following weekend. He was born, and two days later I had to fly to Japan! I was lucky to be able to be there, because it was our first child, and everything went well: he was born healthy. Then all I had to do was leave for the race. It was a beautiful moment.
What kind of father were you back then? I imagine you weren't very present, because of your career…
At first, yes, of course we were always checking in, but it was great that Sophie (Kumpen, Max's mother - Ed.) was there all the time. For my part, I was competing in the Grand Prix, then I'd go home to help and be there for everyone as best I could.
At what point did you decide to put it in a go-kart for the first time?
Actually, it was his decision! I think that when they're too young, there's no point in starting. I wanted him to start around six years old. But long before that, he was already watching Formula 1 , he was starting to understand things. I used to take him to karting races because at the time, we had our own karting team. So he was always there, playing around the karts, spending a lot of time at the Genk track ( Belgium , Ed.), near our home. And he kept asking, " When can I drive? When can I try? " He had to wait until he was a little older. I remember he called me while I was at the Canadian Grand Prix. He said, " Now I want a kart, I see kids younger than me driving. " I couldn't hold him back anymore, I couldn't refuse to give him a kart.
He had that fire in him! Were you like him when you were a child, or not at all?
Yes! I was always with my grandfather, who owned what you might call a junkyard. People would bring their old cars there, and my grandfather would sell the parts. So there was always something to do. I did motocross, I drove cars from a very young age. I've always been passionate about anything with an engine.
Some drivers absolutely do not want their children to follow in their footsteps and become racing drivers themselves. Do you think it's a good idea to encourage Max to follow in your footsteps?
My father was always very demanding, and I know that people around the world think I pushed Max a lot. But I don't believe I forced him; it was more about passion. We wanted to win, and that desire didn't just come from me, it came from him too. He was young, but very motivated. He's always been a perfectionist. And because of the Verstappen name , there was a bit more pressure on him, here in the Netherlands and in Belgium. When we went to a race, we were very well prepared.
As you mentioned, the prevailing idea is that you were harsh with him. How would you describe your relationship during his childhood?
You can ask Max, but I think our relationship was very good. Was I tough? No. I knew exactly what I wanted, I knew exactly what he needed to do to succeed, and that's what I told him. But ask him. We trained together, and it was always very friendly. Even on the way home, I would explain precisely what I had observed about his driving on the track. I was always coaching him. I don't know if you can say I was demanding, but I was helping him. It wasn't demanding, it was helping him by giving him the right information. But if people want to be negative, they can say it was demanding. I also see it in a positive light: it was helping him succeed. And it worked.
At what point did you realize he had the potential to become a Formula 1 driver? Was it visible from a very young age, or still difficult to imagine?
Of course, it's not easy to determine when he's so young. But when we moved on to international karting, we could see that he had something very special.
Then, during his F3 season , several F1 teams came to court him, notably Mercedes and of course Red Bull . How did you handle these negotiations?
We already had the same team around us: manager Raymond Vermeulen, who is a good friend of mine. It was him, Max, and me, and that's still the case today. So we were very well prepared. Toto ( Wolff , Mercedes F1 boss) and Helmut (Marko, Red Bull's junior driver director) were both talking to us. They were pushing to bring him in (to their respective teams). And we were doing our job: finding the best environment for Max.
It seems Helmut Marko told you: "We're going to put Max in Formula 1 next year, for two years." (see Keynote Speaker). And that this statement left you speechless…
Yes, I remember. I was at Hockenheim, and it was a typical conversation with Helmut. He came to our table and explained, " I only have twenty minutes. " I told him that was plenty of time to talk. And his first sentence was, " I want Max to be in F1 with us next year (at the Toro Rosso team ) . " I was very surprised that he said that, and I replied, " Okay, Helmut, we'll do it, but for two years, not one. " Because Max was so young, I thought he needed a first year to adapt, and then in the second, he could show how good he was. And he took to things so well, he had such a good first year in 2015, that they put him at Red Bull in his second year. That was a good thing.
What did you feel during his first Grand Prix, in Australia in March 2015 (he set the 12th fastest time, but had to retire due to engine failure) ?
In a way, I was very nervous, because we know how important it is to get off to a good start, to have a good atmosphere, and we know that all the journalists are going to react to his performance. So it was very important that he had a good first half of the season (he was 11th in the championship after 10 GPs with 22 points, compared to 9 for his teammate Carlos Sainz . Ed.)
Did you take a moment, at that time, to reflect on all the work done over the years to prepare him for his arrival in Formula 1?
I think that moment came in Barcelona, when he won his first race in 2016. A lot of emotions came out at that moment. That's why we'd been working for ten, fifteen years, to feel and experience that moment when he won his first race.
For you, as a father and former driver who didn't have as many opportunities to win races (2 podiums in F1. Editor's note), was it even more special to experience it through your son, to win indirectly through him?
I think so. I know how difficult it is to stay in Formula 1, to perform well, to stay on track, and I've learned a lot from the downsides of the sport. So when I was with Max, I tried to help him, to show him what was important for his career, what to focus on, and so on. To have helped him so much at the beginning of his career, and to experience such a moment during his first victory, was very, very special.
Since that first victory, he has become an experienced F1 driver, so you might have less advice to give him on driving. But what kind of advice do you still give him?
We still talk, but less about the driving itself. I never tell him what to do; we've agreed on that. We always say what we think. If he makes a mistake, I don't tell him immediately after the race, but maybe the next day, or on Tuesday. We always go over what happened, and we always say what we think. That's how I am, and that's how Max is too—he always says what he thinks. We say, " That was good ," " That wasn't good ," " I would have done it this way "... About everything, really: what I see in the press, what I see of his driving. I remain very involved in everything related to Formula 1, but in a way that can help him. I only want the best for Max. We talk about Formula 1 for five minutes a day, and the rest is more private.
In his early years in F1, he was a bit impulsive on the track. How did you help him during that period?
I tried to help him as much as possible, to guide him in everything. He was very young, he had a lot to learn, and Formula 1 is quite different from the Formula 3 he had done the previous year. So there was a lot to learn, to understand, and to know how to manage.
Let's move on to 2021 and his first title. A few months before the championship, there was that impressive accident at Silverstone (at the Copse corner after contact with Lewis Hamilton, resulting in a 51G impact). Were you worried about him when you saw the crash on the screens?
Yes. We could see right away that it was a very serious accident. He went to the medical center, and I went there too. Then, from the medical center, we went to the hospital, we had X-rays, everything was checked, and we saw that everything was fine. It was good news. But there was enormous media pressure, that's for sure.
That year was marked by a real battle of nerves between Red Bull and Mercedes. How did you experience it? Was it difficult to watch?
It was difficult, but for me, it was also very exciting, and for Max too. We were very strong as a team, the whole team helped each other. We were very solid at Red Bull Racing, and that's what I liked: everyone helped each other, were focused on the same goal and did their best to achieve it.
Then Abu Dhabi arrived. Your heart must have been racing on the last lap…
You know what happened: the safety car with six laps to go, then suddenly just one lap to decide the championship winner. I already knew Max was going to try it (to overtake Lewis Hamilton and win the race), I was 100% sure of it. But I was surprised by where he did it, where he overtook Lewis (at Turn 5, before the two DRS straights). It's always like that with Max, he overtakes where nobody else does. And that surprised a lot of people at the circuit.
How did you feel when you saw your son become Formula 1 world champion?
It was like a dream, something hard to believe. And then it felt amazing; we had one of the best parties ever. It was such a powerful feeling; I still have the videos from that night! It was a very, very moving moment we shared.
What difference in feeling is there between accomplishing something oneself and seeing it accomplished by one's son, whom one has trained and helped all his life?
I don't know, because I've never accomplished that myself! (Laughs) It's something we've worked on for half my life, for example. After my career, my biggest goal was to get Max to the top of motorsport. And that's what happened. Of course, I'm very proud of everything he's achieved and continues to achieve, and also of the man he's become.
I see a lot of similarities between him and me: he's straightforward, he speaks his mind. You don't see that much at the top of sports, because everything is so controlled by sponsors and organizations these days that you can't be yourself anymore. And he is. If he doesn't like something, he says so. I think people should be glad that there are still people like him, who speak the truth and don't change because of sponsors or corporations.
That's actually quite rare these days…
He's just himself, and that's what's great about him! He is who he is.
You also competed in many disciplines, including endurance and rallying . Did you encourage him to explore other things, or was that already part of him?
At one point, I started doing GT3 testing, just for fun, to enjoy myself and have a good time with people. I invited him to try it out, and he loved it so much that he ended up creating his own team. But he's always had complete freedom over it. It's his life, it's how he wants it, and I'm happy about that.
Can you imagine one day racing the 24 Hours of Le Mans with him? Is that a realistic goal for both of you?
I know people are talking about him, but I also know how competitive and professional he is. I think it's better for him to continue on his own path; that's more important. Because if he races at Le Mans or elsewhere, he'll want to win, and I'm probably a bit too old now (54) to be as competitive as him!
Your career is currently focused on rallying (Jos is the 2025 Belgian Rally Champion. Ed.). He says that rallying scares him, that the risk is too high. Would you like him to take it up one day, so you can compete against him?
No, what matters is what he wants. I don't care whether he likes it or not, I'll leave the decision to him.
He also mentioned that you sometimes still race against each other, that you rent tracks to compete against each other just for fun. Do you still do that?
Yes, we still do it in winter, in December and January, and we continue to do it. It's nice.
I must ask you: who wins? Does experience or youth make the difference?
No, I don't stand a chance against him. He wins every time! When I get within a second of him—usually it's more like a second and a half—I'm already thrilled. He's incredibly strong; he knows exactly where to gain time. It's a unique talent. And you don't get faster as you get older, that's part of the problem!
You are now a grandfather. Do you give Max any advice on how to raise a child while being an F1 driver?
No. He knows where to find me; if he wants advice, he'll ask me. Everyone does things their own way, and that's perfectly fine.
You have other children, younger than Max. If one of them wanted to become a pilot, would you find the same energy you put into Max?
No, it's impossible. I can already tell you they're not interested in racing, and I'm very happy about that, it's just fine. It's been a pretty exhausting twenty years with Max: lots of miles in the van, mechanical work, engine preparation. I did it all. I really loved that time. But now, we have other priorities.
How do you see Max today, as a man and as a driver? What is your overall view of everything he has achieved?
As a person, he's a really great guy, with a wonderful character. He's down-to-earth and very honest. He's everything you could want for your son. I'm incredibly proud of him. And as a driver, he's exceeded all our expectations. If he has the right equipment, he'll surely win more championships. It all depends on the car he's driving.
How do you imagine things in ten years? Where will Max be in 2036? What will he have accomplished?
I think he won't be in F1 anymore, and I hope he'll have won Le Mans by then. But even then, winning Le Mans isn't so easy these days, with the Balance of Performance (BoP, which levels the playing field), the whole field is very close. We'll see, it will be a challenge. But I'm sure he'll still be racing at that point, just not in F1.
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