SINGAPORE – When Max Verstappen took the chequered flag in last Sunday’s (July 4) Formula One Austrian Grand Prix, the Red Bull driver took a big stride in securing his maiden world championship.
With nine out of a possible 23 races completed, Verstappen leads defending champion Lewis Hamilton of Mercedes by 32 points. And if he stays the course, Verstappen, who at 17 became the youngest driver to compete in Formula 1 at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix for Torro Rosso, will add the most sparkling feather to his already shining cap.
While the Dutchman’s rapid rise is an ode to his own talent, his father Jos has played a huge role in making Max the driver he is today. One could argue that were it not for Jos’ mentoring, the 23-year-old’s story could have been different.
Jos raced for the likes of Benetton, Arrows and Minardi in F1, taking two podiums over 106 starts.
Like his son, he made his F1 debut at an early age (22) and immediately caught the eye. But unable to secure an opportunity to race for even a mid-table team, let alone a championship contender, his F1 career ended in 2003. But instead of letting that deter him, Jos dedicated his full focus on Max.
In an interview with Red Bull last year, Jos told the story of how his son got into the sport.
Max, aged four, asked him if he could have a kart after seeing a younger friend karting. Although Jos was reluctant at first, he was won over by Max’s tearful pleas .
“It was at Genk, it was on the rental circuit, it was with a very small go-kart,” Jos recounted.
“We still have it. It’s hanging in the shop where we sell the merchandise. But I remember after a few laps, he did the whole track flat out. And because of the vibration of the kart the carburettor was falling off all the time. We did it for one day, and then immediately bought him a bigger go-kart.”
By 16, Max was world and European champion in karting’s two strongest classes.
From his first kart outing to his final world championship, Jos was in tune with Max’s every need. According to The Race, he prepared the chassis and engines in his workshop when Max was at school and they would test a couple of times a week. They drove over 100,000km a year across the Netherlands, Belgium and beyond.
Although Jos’ last F1 race was more than 17 years ago, Max has revealed he takes many cues from his father, and says he does not depend so much on data as he does on intuition, thanks to his father’s teachings.
In a wide-ranging interview with personal sponsor Car Next, Max said: “Sometimes he would send me out, he would change something on the kart, but he wouldn’t tell me what, and then I had to feel what it was doing.”
There have been many father-son duos in sports history but there are a only a few like the younger Verstappen, who not only live up to lofty expectations and become professionals in their field, but outshine their fathers in the process.
Borussia Dortmund hotshot Erling Haaland is already seen as one of the best strikers in world football and is widely tipped to play in the English Premier League someday – a league in which his father Alf-Inge spent the bulk of his career in (1993-2003), where he played for Nottingham Forest, Leeds United and Manchester City.
The senior Haaland, who played in midfield and defence, is probably best known as the player who was on the end of a career-ending Roy Keane tackle in 2001.
Some 18 years later, his son burst onto the scene with a hat-trick in his Champions League debut for Red Bull Salzburg in September 2019 against Genk.
Erling is still happy to take advice from him.
“The combination of what he offers is ideal. He covers all important areas and helps me in every situation. My father has experienced a lot himself and can therefore give me important tips that can make me better and improve me even more as a person,” he told RB Salzburg’s website.
Asked why he chose to play as a striker instead of as a defender like his father, who made 34 appearances for Norway, Haaland said: “That was pretty boring for me. I wanted to go forward all the time and score goals. It was soon clear I was going to be a striker.”
He has scored 113 times in his career. But his lifetime goal is to surpass his father.
Other sons who eclipsed their fathers’ career:
1) Frank Lampard and Frank Lampard Sr
The former England and Chelsea midfielder came through the ranks at West Ham, where his father Frank Lampard Sr was assistant manager and uncle Harry Redknapp the manager. Lampard Sr was a left-back who made 551 appearances for the Hammers but was only capped twice by the Three Lions.
2) Kobe Bryant and Joe Bryant
Joe “Jellybean” Bryant left for Italy after an average eight-year stint in the National Basketball Association (NBA). That turned out to be a great move. He became a star in Europe which, in turn, helped his son Kobe out tremendously. There, a young Kobe developed his love for basketball and football. He grew up idolising Mike D’Antoni as he watched him run the point on various Italian clubs, and would become one of the best to ever to play the game.
3) Floyd Mayweather Jr and Floyd Mayweather Sr
The Mayweathers are boxing royalty. The senior Mayweather had a decent boxing career but his legacy was tarnished when he was later locked up for dealing drugs. After doing his time, he became a successful trainer. He trained Oscar De La Hoya, Chad Dawson, Laila Ali and Floyd Mayweather Jr. His son is arguably the greatest fighter of his generation.