Max Verstappen’s father Jos has become a key feature of the Formula 1 paddock, joining his son at races and appearing on the front row of Red Bull celebrations when he scoops victory.
However, the relationship between the two is thought to be sometimes tense, especially during Max’s upbringing, where Jos is believed to have pushed his son in training and races to get him to Formula 1.
“People say I was a bad father who abused my child,” Jos was reported as saying by Swedish outlet Expressen.
“I never abused him. I raised him. I was hard on him and that was my plan. Many have no idea what it takes to reach the top in a sport,” he added
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In his new documentary, ‘Max – Anatomy of a Champion’, the two-time world champion is seen poking fun at his father’s lacklustre motorsports career.
Jos competed in 106 races in Formula 1 between 1994 and 2003 but never registered a win, only securing two podiums.
Over dinner, Max joked to Jos “You could install a bathtub [in the house]. A wide one.”
“I already have trouble getting in and out,” Jos replied.
“Luckily you’ve had a lot of practice getting out of cars,” Max said in a cutting jibe.
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While normally serious-faced, Jos did at least see the humour in the comment, laughing with his son, even if he was left speechless by the putdown.
The release of Verstappen’s documentary comes as he is in the prime of his career, with two world titles under his belt and a third potentially on the way if his success continues through this season.
As it stands, after three races, Verstappen holds a 15 point lead in the Drivers’ Standings over his teammate Sergio Perez and a 24 point lead over Aston Martin’s Fernando Alonso.