Was Max Verstappen’s Father Ever a Racer in F1? Jos Verstappen’s Fascinating Le Mans Victory

Max Verstappen is the defending world champion and with the way he is driving, it doesn’t seem like anyone will be attacking his position soon. He has become a legend in the F1 world at just 26, by winning 3 consecutive races in a row and setting many records along the way. And the person who has always been rooting for Max is his father, Jos Verstappen.

The 3-time world champion was born in a racing home with both his parents being into karting. Along with that, Jos Verstappen is a well-known name in motorsport considering his experience as an endurance driver and also the lesser known F1 experience. Here is what you need to know about Jos Verstappen’s racing career.

Jos Verstappen: From Endurance Racing to Formula 1

Jos Verstappen’s journey in motorsport began in karting, where his talent quickly became evident. Back in 1994, he made his debut in F1 in Benetton alongside Michael Schumacher. Although he was in one of the best teams at the moment, driving the best car, he failed to reach similar success as his teammate.

Verstappen’s Formula 1 career lasted nearly a decade, during which he drove for several teams, including Simtek, Tyrrell, Stewart, Arrows, and Minardi but he didn’t find much success overall. Despite only securing 2 podium finishes in Formula 1, he gained quite a reputation for his raw speed and aggressive driving style.

Jos Verstappen’s aggressive driving style was both his strength and his downfall in Formula 1. While his driving showcased his passion for the sport, it also led to incidents on the track and occasional clashes with other drivers. After his Formula 1 career, Verstappen transitioned to endurance racing. While he didn’t win the Le Mans 24 Hours race, other endurance events such as the 24 Hours of Spa-Francorchamps and the FIA GT Championship where he showed his skills.

After triumphing in both the 1000km Catalunya and 1000km Spa races, and securing a second-place finish in the 1000km Monza event, Jos Verstappen claimed victory in the LMP2 class of the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans. His win at the 1000km Nurburgring solidified Verstappen’s grasp on the LMP2 Drivers’ title, while also securing Van Merksteijn Motorsport, the LMP2 Manufacturers’ title.

Verstappen’s move to endurance racing after F1 showcased that despite his F1 career, he was made for the world of Motorsport. Endurance racing demanded a different skill set compared to Formula 1, including managing long stints behind the wheel, navigating traffic, and working closely with co-drivers and teams, which he picked up quite well.

But now he is retired and has other things to focus on. The last time he was seen racing behind a wheel was in the Citroën C3 Rally2 at the WRC championship. Besides his own career, he has been quite invested in his son’s racing career. Ever since the Red Bull incident, Jos Verstappen has been vocal about his concerns and has started to look into what is best for his son.

What does Jos Verstappen think of Red Bull’s current state?

While he is not driving as a racer anymore, Jos Verstappen has been looking out for his son. Max Verstappen is caught up in the middle of a controversy with Christian Horner singling out the team to gain more power in Red Bull Racing. The controversy is coming off as a possible distraction to Jos Verstappen as he has been vocal about not liking the team principal getting to keep his position.

About the Christian Horner crisis in the team, Jos Verstappen has expressed how unhappy he is and following the Bahrain GP, has mentioned how he thinks the team is “in danger of being torn apart” and will soon “explode.”

After the Bahrain Grand Prix, Papa Verstappen was seen talking to Toto Wolff, which ignited the rumors of Max moving to Mercedes. That being said, the situation is still unstable at the Red Bull quarters and Max Verstappen is yet to decide if he will stay or leave the team at the end of the session.

With that, why don’t you let us know what you think will happen? Will Max Verstappen continue with Red Bull or will Mercedes be his choice for 2025? Let us know in the comments below.

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