One of the biggest debates that continue to rage on in F1 is about Max Verstappen and his driving style. While some feel it is too aggressive, others think it’s just aggressive enough. But aggressive it is, and there’s no denying it. Many wonder where it comes from and how he channelizes it on the track. His mother Sophie Kumpen revealed the origins of it all, and it dates back to the times before he was born.

Max has often borne the brunt of his rivals’ anger after they alleged he pushed them off the track. If there is even an inch of space for him to attack, he will take it. Lewis Hamilton has often been on the receiving end of it. However, the Briton said enough was enough and refused to yield during their infamous 2021 British GP crash. Later in an interview, he dubbed it a ‘do or die’ approach. You either yield or you crash. Christian Horner, on the other hand, called his attacking style his best form of defense.

Speaking on the origin of his on-track aggression in the docuseries ‘Max Verstappen: Anatomy of a Champion’, his mother recalled her own karting days, “In karting I was like a real girl but then in my racing if you made me angry, I could be very aggressive.” 

“His dad had this too. If you made me combine the goodness what Jos had with my good stuff, then that makes Max special. But then in the end, it’s Max who has to drive. He has good genes but it’s up to Max to perform.”

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Sophie used to race against the likes of Jenson Button, Jarno Trulli, Giancarlo Fisichella, and even Max’s current boss, Christian Horner. That sort of racing prowess had to trickle down to him.

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In almost every sport, we see athletes who either reach the top because of that extra bit of effort they put in, or because they just have some abilities that just happen to naturally be there in them. That is a distinction one can draw between Max and Lewis as well. While Jenson Button considers the Dutchman to be a naturally gifted driver, he credits his parentage for it.

Speaking with Sky Sports last year, he told, “with Max, his dad raced in F1, and I raced against his dad. My first points finish was in Brazil in my second race, to get that point, I had to overtake his dad. Obviously, an amazing talent and his father was one of the best car drivers ever and still probably to this day.”

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“And his mum Sophie, I was teammates with her in karting. She used to be a professional kart driver and she was one of the best in the world. So, it’s definitely in the blood. So, naturally gifted, yes but I don’t know if he’s the best driver.”

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Do you agree with Sophie and Jenson’s assessment? Is Max Verstappen talented and aggressive just because his parents were the same during their racing days? Or has he too worked on it to hone the skill over the years?