Who is Sophie Kumpen? Exploring her relationship with F1 champion Max Verstappen

Red Bull's reigning double world champion Max Verstappen is praised by many for his 'daring' driving behind the wheel in F1 and hailed as the next superstar in the sport.

Interestingly, while many are aware that Verstappen's father, Jos, was a former F1 driver who drove for Benneton, his mother, Sophie Kumpen, was also an excellent driver in the karting scene in the 1980s. She competed against former F1 champion Jenson Button and some of the other best F1 drivers during her time as a kart racer.

Kumpen also raced against Red Bull team boss Christian Horner. The 47-year-old started karting at an early age and participated in the Formula A World Championship. At the age of 16, she finished ninth in the championship. Horner, in an interview with Business F1, said of Kumpen:

“I raced against Max’s mum in 1989 in the junior kart world championship. In that race, there were some super-talented drivers: Jan Magnussen, Jarno Trulli, Giancarlo Fisichella and Dario Franchitti. She was top 10 in the world, for sure,”

In an interview, Kumpen said that she prays before every race for her son's success.

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“They are two competitive drivers, the relationship is fine" - Red Bull boss on Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has said that the dynamic between Max Verstappen and Sergio Perez is fine given their recent rough patch off the track.

As per F1.com, he said:

“They are two competitive drivers; the relationship is fine, and there is good respect between the two of them. They both know the responsibility they have driving for the team. There’s expectations that come with that, but they're in a good place. They’ve been a very effective pairing for us, and I expect that to continue.”

He added that it would be difficult for them to develop the RB19 given the budget cap penalty they have to serve in 2023:

“I think it will be very tough for us to develop this car because when you look at the amount of percentage time less we have compared to some of our rivals, it’s significant. But it is what it is. We just have to do the best we can with what we’ve got: be efficient, effective and selective in what we choose to develop and how we apportion our time.”

It will be fascinating to see if anyone on the grid can catch up with Max Verstappen and Red Bull in the upcoming races.