Max Verstappen: “He cleared me and left”… The day his father abandoned him at a gas station for missing an overtake

You are not born a champion, you become one. And for Max Verstappen, crowned for the fourth time this Sunday, November 24 in Las Vegas (United States) at the top of the world hierarchy, the path to glory notably passed through constant demands from his father , Jos, himself a former Formula 1 driver.

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A hard education recounted in particular at the end of December 2021, in the columns of Sun. And the Red Bull driver recalled a karting race in Italy in 2012, as a teenager, during which he retired on the second lap after colliding with a competitor while attempting to overtake. An event that the Dutchman, according to him, should have won easily. Enough to provoke the ire of his father.

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In fact, after the race and on the way home, the former runner ordered his 15-year-old son to get out of the van, before leaving the gas station without him. “He released me and left,” explained Max Verstappen, in comments this time reported by ESPN. “I didn't speak to him for six or seven days,” admitted Jos, speaking of Max, finally picked up by his mother, who followed them on the road, several minutes later before Jos came to pick up his son. In leaden silence all the way until their return to the Netherlands.

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In retrospect, Max Verstappen explained that the episode was beneficial to him. “It was a difficult lesson. But I think it was a good lesson in the end.” And to underline: “The following year, I think I was much better at judging my overtaking and the way I approached a race”.

And his father agrees: “The following season, we won everything. We won two European championships, the world championship, we won all the races. He was so focused, the way he ran, we could see he was thinking and I think because of what happened in that race he became a better driver.”