Despite Being Born to $8 Million Worth Father, Blind Eye Turned to Max Verstappen’s Privilege as Close Friend Builds Bizarre Narrative

Formula 1 is a tough nut to crack. Granted, getting to the pinnacle of motorsport can never be easy, and the one’s who leave a mark on it truly deserve the accolades. That being said, it also cannot be ignored that some people have it easier than others. Ever since the inception of the sport, it has been a close-knit community. Oftentimes, it became a family affair, too. 2x champion, Max Verstappen, is a generational talent. That’s a given. However, turning a blind eye to his rich F1 lineage that has definitely played a role in his initiation into the sport may be taking things a step too far.

Son of $8 million worth ex-F1 driver, Jos Verstappen, Max was already a part of the F1 paddock. What also can’t be ignored is the fact that the Verstappens shared a very close affinity with Michael Schumacher, which sometimes even spilt over on to the racing track. Arguably, Verstappen has had a lot of behind the scenes support that some F1 aspirants can only crave to have. That’s why drivers like Esteban Ocon who have had to build themselves up from nothing would scoff at what David Coulthard had to say about Verstappen’s ‘struggles’ recently.

“He [Verstappen] was not offered the path to F1. He had to fight to get there. He worked very hard at the beginning of his career. And each time he showed that he had this fighting spirit, that he was not afraid of any competitor. His work ethic, as well as his natural talent, has given him an edge over many of his competitors,” wrote Coulthard in a column for The Hindustan Times. [translated via Google Translate]

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In any case, his father Jos has been instrumental in making Verstappen what he is today. But the road wasn’t always that rosy.

The hard way Max Verstappen was brought up

What Verstappen does on track, and the attitude he carries while dealing with his drivers is something that has been instilled in him by his father. But the road to Verstappen’s eventual sublimity was a tough one for any young kid to take.

While describing an instance where he messed up during a kart race, Verstappen was quoted by Crash.net as explaining how his father dealt with it afterwards. He said, “But then at one point he was like, ‘Max, if you don’t shut up now I’m kicking you out.’ And, of course, I didn’t think he would do that. So I kept on talking, trying to talk to him.”

“Next fuel station he stops and he’s like, ‘Get out!.”

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A debate can surely ensue as to how privileged the Dutch lion actually was on his road to F1. But where do you stand on this whole discussion?