Credits: USA Today Sports

At a very young age, it was clear that Max Verstappen was destined to become an F1 driver. We have all heard stories of his karting genius when he was a child, and his parents made sure that the future two-time F1 champion had everything he needed at his disposal.

Verstappen is one of the most talented racing drivers of all time and his rise to the top of F1 has been meteoric. However, had it not been for his father Jos Verstappen, and mother Sophie Kumpen, the Dutchman may have had a more difficult journey to where he is today.

Verstappen Sr. and Kumpen were established racing drivers, but after noticing Verstappen’s talent, they made it their mission to get him to F1. Not only did Verstappen reach F1, but he also made history by winning two world championships at the young age of 25. He has also surpassed the careers of legends like Niki Lauda and Fernando Alonso.

Who is Jos Verstappen?

Max Verstappen shares a very close relationship with his father Jos. He spent most of his childhood with his dad, traveling around the world and attending races. When he noticed his son’s talent behind the wheel, Jos made it his life’s mission to help Max reach F1.

However, Verstappen Sr. himself was an F1 driver during his racing days. He took part in 107 Grand Prix across his 10-year career. His career was not nearly as glittering as that of his son’s, but he still managed to score 17 championship points and stand on the podium two times.

17 points seem much less for a driver who had two podium finishes throughout his career, but these points were calculated using the old system. In today’s system, Verstappen Sr.’s points total would be 117 points. Nevertheless, his career makes him the second most successful Dutch F1 driver of all time behind his son, Max.

Who is Sophie Kumpen?

Like Verstappen’s father, his mother Sophie Kumpen was also a reputed racing driver in her younger days. She was a force to reckon with in the karting circuit and went toe-to-toe with future F1 drivers like Jenson Button, Jan Magnussen and Giancarlo Fisichella.

Verstappen has been with Red Bull in F1 since 2016, and his team principal has been Christian Horner since day one. Interestingly enough, Kumpen also raced Horner at a junior karting event in her teenage years.

At the age of 16, Kumpen took part in the Formula A World Championship, and finished P9 in the standings. She comes from a family that is very well connected to sports. Kumpen’s brother Paul is also a racing driver, and her father Robert was the chairman of KRC Genk, one of the top football clubs of Belgium.

Jos Verstappen and Sophie Kumpen’s relationship

Jos Verstappen married Sophie Kumpen in 1996. Together, they had two kids, Max and his sister Victoria. Verstappen and Kumpen were together for 12 years before getting divorced in 2008, but the problems they had in their relationship never affected their son’s racing career.

Verstappen spent most of his childhood with his father. He credits the latter for shaping his career, and says that he is a two-time world champion only because of him. However, the way Verstappen Sr. treated Max as a child has often been scrutinized.

How Max Verstappen got into karting

Verstappen was born into a family of people who were extremely passionate about sports. Both his parents were established figures in the world of motorsports, and according to Jos, they noticed Max’s talent at a very early age.

The future Red Bull star was just two and a half years old, when he got his first quad-bike which he rode around in all day. Slowly, he transitioned into four-wheelers and his parents noticed just how talented he was behind the wheel.

Verstappen soon got his own kart, which had to be modified because he was very small. Jos Verstappen recalls how him entering the world of racing started casually, but very quickly, they realized that he had the potential to make it to F1.

What role did Max Verstappen’s parents play in his F1 success?

Verstappen spent the majority of his childhood in The Netherlands with his father Jos. He was never estranged from his mother, but it was his father who contributed immensely to his success. However, Verstappen has often narrated incidents that make people question if he was treated the right way.

Jos Verstappen was often very harsh on his son. Incidents like leaving Verstappen in a deserted gas station because he couldn’t win a race have led to people stating that the latter was abused as a child.

Verstappen, however, admits that his difficult childhood is what shaped him into being such a successful racing driver today.