Getty
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing is pictured speaking to his father, Jos Verstappen as he drives the first laps at the official opening for the upcoming Dutch GP F1 or Formula One race which will be held at Circuit Zandvoort in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Racing)
Getty
ZANDVOORT, NETHERLANDS: Max Verstappen of Red Bull Racing is pictured speaking to his father, Jos Verstappen as he drives the first laps at the official opening for the upcoming Dutch GP F1 or Formula One race which will be held at Circuit Zandvoort in Zandvoort, Netherlands. (Photo by Dean Mouhtaropoulos/Getty Images for Red Bull Racing)
Since his F1 debut in 2015, Max Verstappen has risen to the top in the sport. Although the Dutchman’s initial years included many crashes and an extremely defensive nature, he has matured to become one of the most fearsome drivers on the grid today.
Watch What’s Trending Now!
As the Dutchman leads the driver’s championship for the first time in his career, his father Jos believes he showed his potential at the tender age of seven.
Max Verstappen was special even at seven years old: Jos Verstappen
While his title challenges failed in previous seasons, Verstappen means business this year. With five wins in the first nine races, he leads seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton by 32 points in the drivers’ championship.
Although his father, Jos didn’t taste as much success in F1, he helped his son throughout his early days in his racing career. Ahead of the upcoming British Grand Prix, Verstappen admitted his son always exhibited the potential to make it to the pinnacle of motor sport.
Getty
MONTMELO, SPAIN: Max Verstappen of Netherlands and Red Bull Racing talks with his father Jos Verstappen in the garage during day three of F1 Winter Testing at Circuit de Catalunya in Montmelo, Spain. (Photo by Mark Thompson/Getty Images)
He said, “Even when he was seven years old, I knew he was special. On the first lap, he was very fast on the cold tyres. It’s also the same when transitioning. You could see how it was prepared and Max was very good at it.” (Translated via Google Translate)
In addition, Verstappen admitted he wouldn’t have struggled as much as he did if he didn’t see that potential in his son. “It cost me a lot of time and money, and if I hadn’t seen that in him, I would never have done these things,” said the 49-year-old.
READ MORE: WATCH: Max Verstappen Displays his Masterclass as a 12 Year Old on Karts
Jos: I taught Max to win
Although he admitted Max faced a hard time at time, the latter moulded his mindset to win at every track. He said, “When we went to a track, we didn’t go chasing others, we went there to win, and that’s what I taught Max. I always wanted to win and I asked him to do that too.”
As Max Verstappen creates his own legacy, his father’s role in it is immense. Although he didn’t compete for a world title, his son is on the cusp of breaking Mercedes‘ dominance in the hybrid era with Red Bull.
WATCH STORY: Mad Max: Verstappen’s Angriest Rants on Team Radio
