“Uncle” Michal Schumacher Taught Max Verstappen Invaluable Life Lessons That Even Father Jos Couldn’t

Formula 1 has witnessed greatness throughout its history through various drivers. One of the drivers that defined and dominated the Formula 1 era was Michael Schumacher. Schumacher always took the limelight, which is why many forget Schumacher’s teammate at one point in his career was Jos Verstappen. Verstappen and Schumacher maintained a healthy relationship and often spent time together. So the lives of the past and present world champions were intertwined, leaving a lasting impression on young Max Verstappen.

A three or four-year-old Verstappen vacationed with the Schumacher family back in the day. The young Dutchman, not knowing he is in the company of greatness, vacationed as every kid would. However, Schumacher’s conduct around his family and throughout the vacation alone left a lasting impact on Max, he revealed to F1 Insider.

Speaking to the news outlet, Verstappen said, “I was three or four years old then. All I knew was that it was Uncle Michael. Who was very nice. Who was an extremely big family man. But I never saw him as a record world champion, I wasn’t aware of that. You can see that in the old photos and videos that we have at home. Mick was always there or Gina (Schumacher’s daughter; ed.). It was great. I still have positive memories of those weekends to this day.”

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It etched the happy recollections from the weekends in Max Verstappen’s memories. In fact, photos from the past of the two world champions are now surfacing as well. However, photos alone don’t tell us the full picture of the family’s bond.

Apart from guiding Max Verstappen to the premier class, Jos Verstappen also lent his expertise to the Schumacher family

The bond between the Schumacher and Verstappen family is still strong. In fact, Jos Verstappen in an interview with Sport1 recalled how he was consulted about Mick by Michael’s wife Corinna Schumacher during his junior career.

“I had a chat with Corinna after his first year in Formula 4 and she asked me which way he should go,” he revealed. He told Corinna Mick should switch to the Italian Prema Powerteam “because they were the best in Formula 4 and Formula 3 at that time. And that’s what they did.”

Corinna put her faith in her husband’s old partner in crime and went with his advice. The advice landed her son in the premier class as well, despite the brutal bump in the road.

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Following advice about such an important step in her son’s career tells us about the strong family bond. A bond that was formed years ago and is still going strong. Legacy!