Among the stories that forged the legend of Max Verstappen, that of his father abandoning him at a gas station has become one of the most controversial, because of the Dutchman’s harsh upbringing. But Jos Verstappen assures that he did not do this and defended himself to make things clear.
“I think it’s time to clear this story up.” Jos Verstappen told F1-Insider. “The truth is, I didn’t leave him there. I didn’t leave him. I just didn’t talk to him for a week. Is that too hard? Not according to Max. He felt that my attitude had better prepared him for Formula 1.”
“That’s why dealing with Helmut Marko, who is also known to be a very tough man, no longer bothered him. He also appreciates the fact that we continued to train with the kart and dry tires on a wet track I only feel gratitude from him when it comes to his childhood with me.
Jos’s F1 career was quickly tarnished by the gap that separated him from Michael Schumacher at Benetton, and he reveals he tried too hard to keep up with the German: “It was very important. To be honest, I’m not proud of my career.”
“People remember me because I was in the fireball at Hockenheim in 1994. My car caught fire during a refueling. But I made mistakes. My teammate at Benetton was Michael Schumacher “He was extremely fast, extremely talented and the best driver on the team.”
“I wanted to ride as fast as him, especially in races. But I couldn’t do it with my limited experience at the time. That’s why I made mistakes. I wanted to hit my head against a wall. I sent the message to Max not to make this mistake.”
“So, Liam Lawson shouldn’t make the mistake I made: trying to follow Max at all costs. He should do what he wants. I hope he has a similar driving style to that of Max, so they can improve the car together.”
Max Verstappen was also able to benefit from the advice of Michael Schumacher, as Jos explains, because they were friends outside the circuits: “He was always good. He tried hard, even after his career. We often went karting with our children, Mick and Max.”
“Michael did not differentiate between them. If he had something to say, he said it to both. It is quite possible that Max also benefited from these experiences. Max has a lot in common with Michael: uncompromising on the track , but kind, sensitive and attentive in his private life.”
