Jos Verstappen revealed that his family has been “suffering” during Max’s title pursuit this season, due to the Red Bull driver’s demanding schedule.
Max Verstappen secured a fourth consecutive F1 drivers’ title in the Las Vegas Grand Prix after finishing in fifth, ahead of Lando Norris in sixth.
The Red Bull driver is just the sixth person to have claimed a fourth drivers’ championship, further etching his name into the history book.
Jos spoke to his son before the race over the phone, as he opted against travelling to Sin City.
“I spoke to Max an hour and a half before the start,” Jos told Dutch radio station Radio 538. “We always do that.
“[There was] further excitement, of course, hoping it goes the right way. Of course it is nicer [to be there], but sometimes I also like to stay home and not experience the stress of the whole week.
“Max knows full well what he has to do anyway, so I don’t always have to be there anymore either and I feel fine with that.”
Verstappen family sacrifices
Max delivered a mature display in Sin City to seal the title, having managed tyre graining and degradation superbly.
McLaren struggled on its tyres, which put Jos at ease. A fourth drivers’ title makes all the suffering worth it for the Verstappen family, who understand simply things, such as, why Max often cannot speak on the phone to them.
“Good, positive,” revealed the former F1 driver, discussing how Max felt ahead of the race.
“He just didn’t know how the tyres were going to hold up, but I already had a good feeling about it when he came to the front after five or six laps.
“You also saw that the McLarens were not very fast, so it looked good. This is what we once did it for together, that’s also what Max says.
“His whole family was suffering, his mother, his sister and grandmother. Everyone sympathises with him and as he said, sometimes we call him and he doesn’t have time. He sits with that and then it’s nice to have such great successes.”
Jos has since seen his son following the Las Vegas GP, with Max having collected his mother and sister at Amsterdam airport after celebrating the title victory.
“I already met him in Amsterdam, because he landed there,” added Max’s father. “He had to drop some people off.
“Then his mother and his sister, amongst others, got on the plane. It had to be re-fuelled and flew on again.
“I can also tell you that he didn’t sleep, [he] stayed awake through until 10:30am, packed his bags and flew to Amsterdam. Has to be possible, right?”
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