The historic track of Spa-Francorchamps is going to witness yet another Grand Prix race. The 20 best drivers will rev up their engines and conquer the track, however, only the best will take the top spot. Among all the teams, Red Bull‘s desperation is palpable. After three consecutive disappointments, Max Verstappen would be hungry for a win. Moreover, Verstappen’s connection with Belgium makes this Grand Prix even more special.

Every year, Belgium sees Max Verstappen’s homecoming. Thanks to his mum, Sophie Kumpen, the ‘cockpit of Europe’ is also home to the fierce F1 racer. Since we are talking about Max’s connection to Belgium, aren’t you curious for more? Don’t worry, we’ve got everything covered. Here’s everything to know about Max Verstappen’s special connection with the Belgian GP.

The lanes of Hasselt knew Max Verstappen before the world did

Max was born in Hasselt, Belgium in 1997. Being close to the Dutch border, little Verstappen attended school near his father’s homeland. However, he would often move to the other side, that is, to the Nederlands as most of the karting tracks and workshops were held there. But, it wasn’t long before young Max braced the race tracks and in 2003 he was karting regularly in Genk, Belgium. ‘Mini Max’ took his racing passion to a new level in 2005 when he took part in his first championship. The Belgium Championship Mini (VAS) saw the upcoming star of F1, as he won all 21 races.

Max Verstappen spent a considerable amount of time in Belgium. The lanes of Hasselt saw the young boy with his Go-Karting racer mother, Sophie Kumpen, and F1 driver father, Jos Verstappen. Little did Kumpen’s neighbors know that were watching the future F1 world champion grow. Meanwhile, his sister, Victoria arrived in 1999. Both Verstappen siblings were made for the tracks. However, Victoria is the only one from the Verstappen bloodline who didn’t sit in a racing car.

Moreover, Max has a lot of similarities with his mother Sophie Kumpen. How? They were both born in Hasselt. Both mother and son started their racing careers in Belgium. However, following Sophie and Jos’ divorce in 2008, Max moved to Holland with his father. Nonetheless, he is equally affectionate about the Belgian soil like that of the Nederlands. Aren’t you thinking, who is Sophie Kumpen? Let’s find out…

Sophie Kumpen, mother of Max Verstappen and a former Go-Karting racer

Max comes from a racing family. While his father Jos Verstappen zoomed through the tricky corners of F1, his mother Sophie Kumpen dominated the Go-Karting world. Kumpen has been a karting racer and also participated in world championships of Formula A (alongside Christian Horner), Formula K, and Super A classes. Her journey began at the age of 11 when she got into her kart for the first time. At that time, she was racing against renowned drivers like, Jarno Trulli and Jenson Button. And surprisingly, she was dominating the karting tracks. And it seems, Max Verstappen has inherited the domination tactics!

In 1995, Sophie Kumpen reached the pinnacle when she won the Andrea Margutti Trophy. Former F1 driver David Coulthard has highly praised Verstappen’s mum for her speed and valor in a male-dominant sport. Eddie Jordan believes she could’ve made it to F1 in her days, given her speed and control in the kart was outstanding. However, Sophie couldn’t continue with her passion. The rising star of the 80s had to let go of motorsport racing due to various reasons.

Why did Sophie Kumpen leave motorsport?

Sophie said that she was busy with her karting and Verstappen Sr. was out on the tracks. This means they barely saw each other throughout the year. Kumpen explained that a question arose during their marriage, “What do we do now to see each other more? I could not ask Jos to give up his dream as he was already racing in Formula 1.” However she married Jos Verstappen in 1996. At that time she was only 21. Therefore, Kumpen took the tough decision of leaving her racing career. “I made the decision. And then it’s history.”

Soon, Max Verstappen was born alighting the worlds of both Sophie and Jos. Kumpen could’ve continued with racing but two years later, Victoria arrived. Her motherly instincts told her she had to raise her babies. However, Sophie Kumpen appeared in a racing car in 2013 for the last time. She took part in the Formido Swift Cup, but unfortunately, this ended in a crash, in which she broke a vertebra. So first she sacrificed her career to support her husband and then went to support her son. However, she wasn’t particularly happy with Max choosing to drive under the Dutch banner.

Max Verstappen’s mum wasn’t on board with the idea of her son debuting under the Dutch flag

Sophie’s point of view was since Max was born and brought up in Belgium – technically he is a Belgian by nationality, so he should have chosen the Belgian flag instead of the Dutch. However, since 2008, ‘Mad Max’ grew up in the Nederlands with his father. Jos Verstappen trained him to become the beast we see on the track today. Max admitted to loving both nationalities equally.

Max doesn’t regret choosing the Dutch side and is happy to have roots in both countries. Sophie needed some hard convincing from her son, but ultimately, the mother’s heart melted as she wanted to see her boy happy. So, it isn’t too difficult to understand why the Belgian GP is special for Max Verstappen. ‘Homecoming’ isn’t an incorrect term to use after all.

As the weekend unfolds, the part-Belgian Max Verstappen will go all-out on his rivals. His hunger for reclamation can be felt strongly. And with the blessings of his mum, he is sure to do great. Despite the 10-place grid penalty, the ‘Flying Dutchman’ will go to any extent to win.

What is your take on Verstappen’s connection with the Belgian GP? Share in the comments.