“He built his son up with all this knowledge” – Helmut Marko believes Max Verstappen learnt from his father’s mistakes 

Red Bull’s special advisor Dr. Helmut Marko believes that Max Verstappen learned from his father Jos' mistakes to become a better driver on his way to the F1 title.

In an interview with ServusTV, Marko said:

“You have to see that from the start. His father Jos was a successful Formula 1 driver, a quick one.”

“He built his son up with all this knowledge, avoiding any mistakes. They gradually worked towards the title. It worked out well.”

Jos Verstappen raced for seven different teams in F1 between 1994 and 2003, including as teammate to Michael Schumacher at Benetton. Although he displayed flashes of speed on occasion, scoring two podium finishes, Verstappen’s career was less than successful in F1. He, however, found significant success in sportscar racing after leaving F1, winning several races in the Le Mans Series.

Soon, Jos Verstappen said goodbye to his own racing career to give his son Max a better chance at achieving his dream. Using the knowledge he gained from his first-hand experiences, Verstappen ensured his son’s entry in F1 with Red Bull in 2015.

Meanwhile, Jos Verstappen has often talked about his “tough-love” approach to parenting, for which he has often been criticized. When Max Verstappen started racing in F1, this approach reportedly led to friction between Jos and Red Bull, leading to the latter barring his presence in the garage. According to Marko, Jos' approach was a “bit difficult at the beginning” until he “took a back seat” after insistence.

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Lando Norris claims Max Verstappen won championship with second-best car on grid

Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, albeit amid controversial circumstances, to clinch his maiden F1 world championship. McLaren’s Lando Norris believes that the Dutchman’s championship success was despite him not having the best car all season.

In a post-race interview with Ziggo Sport, the British driver said:

“I don't believe he (Verstappen) has had the better car this season.”

“I think the Mercedes has been the better car throughout the majority of the season and Max has been unluckier and I think made fewer mistakes as a driver. Lewis has a lot more experience, won many more championships, and so on.”

Heading into the final race of the season, both Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton were level on points, but Verstappen was technically ahead in the championships courtesy of more wins.

Verstappen is widely accepted to have performed with greater consistency compared to Hamilton. Yet a number of unlucky incidents, combined with the resurgence of Mercedes late in the season, prevented Verstappen from wrapping up the championship far earlier.