Max Verstappen’s “lunatic” father helped him become “unbeatable” in qualifying

Max Verstappen with his father Jos Verstappen ahead of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

Max Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen has claimed that he played a key role in his son’s near-unbeatable qualifying performances throughout the 2021 season.

Verstappen Sr., himself a former F1 driver, has said that he used to encourage his son to go faster like a “lunatic” during the latter’s junior career. In an interview with David Coulthard for Red Bull sponsor CarNext, Jos Verstappen said:

"He saw me as a lunatic, I was hanging over the wall telling him to go quicker. He doesn't need that now. It is in him; it is inside him and he doesn't need it anymore. He knows how to qualify. At the beginning of his career in Formula 3, he was still finding that perfect lap. During his Formula 1 career, he has improved on that quite a lot."

He added:

"Now, he is the man to beat in qualifying, 100 percent, and on track, of course."

Max Verstappen beat Lewis Hamilton to the 2021 F1 title in the season finale in Abu Dhabi to become one of the youngest F1 world champions in the sport’s history. The Dutchman took 10 wins and an equal number of pole positions to triumph over his veteran rival.

During the first half of the season, when the Red Bull RB16 was clearly the fastest car, Verstappen’s qualifying performances were a step above the field. But the Dutchman’s Saturday efforts started to show during the second half of the season, when Mercedes held a performance advantage.

Max Verstappen’s supreme performance in qualifying for the Saudi Arabian Grand Prix, in particular, was the highlight of the season. While the lap ended in disaster on the very last turn, there was no denying that Verstappen’s performance until then had kept everyone on the edge of their seats.

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The “tough love” that helped Max Verstappen earn championship success

Max Verstappen has often credited his success throughout his career to his father. Jos Verstappen himself raced in F1 for nearly a decade with limited success. But he used his experience in the top flight of motorsport to provide his son with the best chance possible.

However, Verstappen Sr. has been often criticized for his “tough-love” approach in his son’s training. In the past, Jos Verstappen has opened up about the various “techniques” that he employed to make his son’s a “better driver”.

During an interview with the Race after the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, Jos Verstappen remembered an instance where he made his son drive in the freezing cold.

Meanwhile, Max Verstappen has defended his father’s approach, saying that it helped him on his way to success in almost every category he has raced in.