Max Verstappen has etched his name in the annals of Formula 1 as one of her greatest champions. But with the Dutch lion, respect isn’t the only thing that crosses his competitor’s minds. It’s that sense of helplessness and fear that plagues them every time they go up against him. While Verstappen will no doubt be reveling in the glory of his success now, the journey to the very top of F1 was never that appealing.

It’s no secret that Verstappen was brought up the hard way. His father, Jos Verstappen, was an ex-F1 driver who though, he had potential, never really fulfilled it. Maybe that’s why he wanted his son to become the best there ever was. And boy, did he do a good job at it!

Max Verstappen was dialed in to win

According to ex-Red Bull junior, Jaime Alguersuari, the process of making him into the champion that he is today sapped all the joy away from Verstappen’s formative years. That being said, the Bulls endorsed it as he became the driver who finally bought Lewis Hamilton‘s reign of terror to an end.

Alguersuari was quoted by AS.com as saying, “He was trained like this, there was no happiness. They pushed him so hard that they ended up making him a perfect driver. It’s not a figure of speech. His father used violence when Max didn’t win in karting. It’s an amazing thing, because if you see it today you think it’s a wild thing to do, but that’s how it happened.”

“It was a very strict, very disciplined system, and Red Bull liked it.” [translated via Google Translate]

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Verstappen Sr.’s reputation may precede him, but his presence does bring a certain competitiveness to the team as well.

Christian Horner reveals Jos Verstappen’s real personality

Jos Verstappen’s personality and temperament have been polarizing for many. And that was exactly the same impression. Red Bull team principal, Christian Horner was given before he entered the garage as part of Max Verstappen’s entourage.

However, the Brit quickly changed his mind. Horner once told Martin Brundle, “I had heard terrible stories about Jos before he came to the team, but I must say he has been very valuable. He never caused any problems within the team.”

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Was Verstappen’s childhood a necessary evil for his F1 success?