Max Verstappen Blamed His Father Jos for the Origins of the Villainous “Mad Max” Persona

Who would have thought Lewis Hamilton would face such a tough grind during his peak days? It was Max Verstappen who shattered the dream run for team Mercedes and the Englishman. There’s no stopping the love and admiration for the Red Bull’s protagonist. The Dutchman is the youngest race winner in F1 and has set the bar high for the younger generation.

It isn’t easy for a rookie to take the place by storm so soon as Max Verstappen did in his debut with Red Bull. Surely it takes years of backbreaking work and guidance to reach the sky high.

Max Verstappen explains the origins of his on track attitude

Coming from an overwhelming history, Max arguably got all the ignition from his dad, which eventually led him to get the nickname ‘Mad Max’. However, for his persona, the dutchman blamed his father, Jos, who in his racing days was called “Jos the boss” for his aggression.

As per The Sun, in 2017, he stated, “My attitude all comes from my dad. There is nobody harder on me than my dad, no matter what other people say, it is never that hard, compared to him.”

“The dynamic is more intense than perhaps Lewis or Jenson had with their dads.”

Remembering his early days and practice sessions with dad, he said, “We still travel together a lot, I can always ask him and it is great that we can share experiences. He’s been there and it is great to benefit from his knowledge.”

READ MORE: How Max Verstappen Was Once Abandoned by His Father at a Gas Station Following an Argument

Max Verstappen has made a habit of winning. He stands on top of the driver’s championship this year, with a distance of 116 points from the driver in P2, Charles Leclerc.

This was not the case last year though. 2021 was arguably the best season in the recent history of the sport. Fans witnessed an amazing rivalry between the two titans of the F1, Lewis & Max.

Lewis Hamilton comments on the Dutchman’s driving style

Hamilton faced fierce competition from the Red Bull racer last season and they end up colliding on several occasions. One such incident that comes to mind is the Italian Grand Prix where Max’s wheels hit Lewis in the head. Thanks to the Halo, Hamilton was unharmed.

With all this in mind, on the Netflix show “Drive to Survive,” Hamilton commented on his rival’s driving style. He said, “I think Max is aggressive as hell,” while talking about the events of Silverstone last year.

Furthermore, he said, “And more often than not, he pushes it to the limit and beyond. I’ve raced against a lot of drivers. There is always bullies, but that’s not how I operate. I just try to beat them on track.”

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Things didn’t end well for Lewis Hamilton in 2021. Michael Masi’s controversial decision of un-lapping only the five cars between Lewis and Max ended in the favor of the dutchman.

In the final-lap shootout between the pair, Verstappen, who was on fresher tires, overtook Lewis Hamilton to clinch his first championship.

The arch rivalry has acquired the interest of many people around the world. But as things stand, times are tough for the Brit, who is trailing behind staggering 167 points and is currently in P5, behind Max Verstappen. What are your views? Is this the end of the road for the veteran, Sir Lewis Hamilton?