Max Verstappen’s father, Jos Verstappen, has always been known for his intense approach to training and motivating his son, which has sparked various stories about their father-son relationship. One particularly memorable incident occurred when Max was a young karting driver, and his father used unconventional methods to toughen him up.
In a well-documented story, Jos smacked Max on the head after a disappointing race, intending to teach him a lesson about focus and resilience. According to Max, this moment was a turning point in his early racing career. The incident occurred during a karting competition where Max, then just a teenager, made a mistake that cost him the race. Jos, a former F1 driver himself, believed tough love was necessary to mold Max into a competitive and mentally strong racer.
The slap wasn’t meant to harm but was a wake-up call, emphasizing the importance of dedication, discipline, and the mental toughness required to succeed in motorsport. Despite the controversial nature of Jos’s methods, Max has often credited his father’s strict and sometimes harsh approach as a crucial factor in his development as a driver.
While the incident might seem extreme, it reflects the intense environment in which Max was raised, preparing him for the pressure of Formula 1, where he would go on to become one of the sport’s most dominant drivers.