Max Verstappen only did not win three of the 22 Formula 1 races in 2023. The Red Bull driver therefore secured his third world title in a superior manner. And father Jos Verstappen says: “It couldn’t be better!”
His son had a “simply incredible” year. “There was only one weekend where it didn’t work out: Singapore. Everything else was great,” says Jos Verstappen, a former Formula 1 driver himself.
In contrast to his son, Jos Verstappen never sat in a competitive car for a full season from 1994 to 2003, but with the exception of his ten races for Benetton in 1994, he mostly drove in classic backbench teams.
Will Max Verstappen even overtake Michael Schumacher?
That’s why Jos Verstappen knows from his own experience: Above all, routine and “a good car” are the decisive success factors in Formula 1. And if Red Bull can continue to offer his son a fast vehicle, then perhaps the World Cup record that Michael once held will be shaken Schumacher has set up seven titles.
After three titles, Max Verstappen is already “very close” to the attitude that Schumacher had in Formula 1, says Jos Verstappen. He therefore believes his son can win a few more World Cup titles.
“For this you need the luck to sit in a good car in the coming years,” explains Jos Verstappen. “Because you can only do it if the material is right. But if the material is right, then he can do it.”
Why Verstappen’s winning streak looks “easy”.
From a purely driving perspective, Max Verstappen is now beyond any doubt, says father Verstappen. “He used to get maybe only a handful of chances a year. He had to do crazy things to take advantage of those chances. But that’s no longer necessary.”
On the one hand, the Red Bull is the dominant car in Formula 1, but on the other hand, Max Verstappen himself has also matured. He also has “the right people around him,” emphasizes Jos Verstappen. “But: You create an environment like that yourself. You choose the people you want to work with.”
All of this makes it look “easy”, but behind every winning streak, according to Jos Verstappen, there is a lot of personal effort from everyone involved. “Despite everything, you have to be there weekend after weekend. The details make the difference,” he says.
Son Max no longer needs advice
Jos Verstappen had already consistently trained his son Max in karting. “But actually you live in the present and only look back every now and then. But yes: we laid the foundations back then. But what we see now is because Max is developing himself further.”
Max Verstappen is now better than Jos Verstappen ever was. That is why the father is careful not to give his son advice. “Those days are over,” says Jos Verstappen and grins.
“But I tell him what I see. For example, if I notice a maneuver that was at the limit for me, then I talk to him about it. That’s something good between us: we are very honest with each other. And Max is straight forward such things.”