Back when Max Verstappen was just a teenager, competing in karting championships, he wasn’t as consistent as the 25-year-old Formula 1 driver he is today. While race wins were pretty frequent back then as well, even a younger Verstappen is no match for the dominant reigning world champion. In one particular instance, when teenage Max didn’t win a karting race, his father—Jos Verstappen—left him behind at a gas station as punishment. Needless to say, the Dutchman probably has more F1 race wins than fond memories of growing up.

Tough love—it’s what shapes a champion. And Max Verstappen is nothing less than one. As much as it helped him realize his potential and work toward becoming the best, could it be that it’s prevented him from celebrating his monumental achievements as much as he deserves to?

Max Verstappen’s childhood scars might be unhealable

If Verstappen, the F1 driver, were to be described in a few words, cutthroat, aggressive, and unforgiving surely top the list. It was his father’s influence—and everything he taught Max about racing—that made him this way. In an interview earlier this year, Jos opened up about how he molded Max to be the way he is. He said, “There are people who say I’m a bad father because I abused my child. I never abused him! I raised him. I was hard on him. That was my plan. Many people cannot imagine what it takes to reach the absolute top level of a sport.” Max is definitely not one of them.

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At the Italian GP last weekend, the reigning champ was gunning to break Sebastian Vettel’s 2013 nine-race-win streak. After equaling the record at his home race the previous weekend, he didn’t need another invitation. With the fastest car on the grid under him and his confidence, he took the win and the record. Discussing his achievement on the Donut Racing Show, co-host Alanis King said, “Max Verstappen has got 10 Grand Prix wins in a row. In a post-race interview, he said he never would’ve thought it possible, but working for it made it more fun. I think the way this is phrased, you can tell he’s bored.” 

Along with co-host Elizabeth Blackstock, they discussed how it’s either that he’s bored of not having competition or has no personality. Blackstock mentioned how they—unlike Verstappen—couldn’t handle the slightest bit of pressure, to which King replied, “You also don’t have a documentary about all of the deep issues that occurred in your childhood.” Verstappen’s documentary, Anatomy of a Champion, gives a glimpse into his racing career and his struggles to meet his father’s expectations and be the best. While Verstappen, the F1 driver, might always be scarred by his past trauma, Verstappen, the person, is finding his way back to a family.

Max Verstappen Reflects on Extremely “Broken” Childhood With a Heartbreaking Confession: “It’s Not a Nice Age”

Max Verstappen has found “family” in Kelly Piquet and her daughter

In his documentary, Verstappen talked about the impact his parents’ divorce had on him. They separated when he was nine, and recounting what happened, he said, “it’s not a nice age because you realize everything. That family feeling is gone, you know, it’s like broken.” After the divorce, he started living with Jos and is now the driver he is because of it. But somewhere along the way, he lost that sense of family with his own people. He didn’t reunite with it until late 2020 when he started dating Kelly Piquet.

Piquet and her daughter, Penelope, have been a breath of fresh air for the Dutchman ever since they became a part of his life. His mother, Sophie Kumpen, thinks so too. In an interview, she said, “They’ve created something like a little family. I think Max maybe missed that when he was young. I think that stability has also helped him, as he knows that someone is waiting for him at home. When you see how sweet he is to her child, but also for his sister, for me, he has his heart in the right place.”

Do you think the emotional scars Max Verstappen got as a kid will always be a part of his personality?

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