As an F1 driver, he was affectionately known as Jos 'The Boss' Verstappen.
It was a tribute to his bravery and audacity, particularly when wheel-to-wheel with a rival, and it is in this area that his 18-year-old son is now also turning heads.
However, Max's nerve landed him in the wall in a terrifying shunt at Monaco, and he had The Boss' heart in his mouth again recently at Spa.
"We talk about certain corners, kerbs or overtakes," Verstappen senior said at a sponsor event earlier this week.
"Like the one at Spa, where he passed Nasr on the outside. Of course, it was a beautiful move, but not entirely without danger at 300kph.
"Max cannot think that will work out every time," the 43-year-old former Benetton and Minardi driver said.
Max's father admits, however, that his own lack of fear does appear to have been passed to the next generation.
"When I raced myself, I would sometimes think about it (fear) but you know you're the one in control," said Jos.
"Now Max is racing I occasionally think about it again, especially on tracks where there's more danger. Look at Sochi, not exactly risk-free if you look at the accidents there. I sometimes worry, but Max is so keen to race so I hope nothing happens to him," he added.
But a lack of fear alone does not explain why Max is now the hottest property on the driver market, and linked with a third car at Ferrari in the event that Red Bull pulls the plug on F1.
"After that fast turn leading to the chicane (at Suzuka)," recalled Jos, "the car will hover around the same speed to save energy. So Max changed the settings which meant that the car kept accelerating instead of maintaining the same speed.
"That's why it looked so easy when he passed (teammate Carlos) Sainz," he added. "Max had already thought about this himself before he was positioned behind Sainz. That's an extra skill that Max has."
Jos Verstappen: "Max is the new 'Boss'
- Published on 21 Oct 2015 09:28
-
1
- By: Kees Schooneman
Trending news
-
Hamilton's brutal self-assessment after third recent penalty
Lewis Hamilton delivered a stark self-assessment after a difficult Hungarian Grand Prix, accepting responsibility for...
27 Jul 2026 16:22 -
Why Carlos Sainz is rethinking his Williams future
Carlos Sainz has acknowledged that his ambition to return to winning ways has been pushed back by as much as two year...
27 Jul 2026 15:21 -
Why Fernando Alonso is nowhere near F1 retirement
Fernando Alonso has signalled his intention to continue racing in Formula 1, stating that enjoyment behind the wheel,...
27 Jul 2026 14:19 -
Why Hamilton openly questioned Ferrari's VSC pit call
Lewis Hamilton has openly questioned Ferrari's strategic decision-making at the Hungarian Grand Prix, stating tha...
27 Jul 2026 13:18 -
Norris's bold claim after Hungary win reveals champion mindset
Lando Norris delivered one of his most complete performances to win the Hungarian Grand Prix and immediately declared...
27 Jul 2026 12:17
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
Saturday
Sunday
Azerbaijan Grand Prix
Local time
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
-
Friday
-
Saturday
-
Sunday
Test calendar
Circuit de Catalunya - Winter testing
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
Bahrain International Circuit - Winter testing
World Championship standings 2026
Related news
Give your opinion!
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Formula 1 Calendar - 2026
Team profile
- Team name Ferrari
- Base Maranello, Italy
- Kimi Räikkönen 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Michael Schumacher 1
- Felipe Massa 2
- Fernando Alonso 3
- Felipe Massa 3
- Michael Schumacher 3
- Felipe Massa 4
- Kimi Räikkönen 4
- Sebastian Vettel 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Fernando Alonso 5
- Felipe Massa 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Michael Schumacher 5
- Felipe Massa 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 6
- Felipe Massa 6
- Kimi Räikkönen 7
- Felipe Massa 7
- Fernando Alonso 8
- Fernando Alonso 14
- Charles Leclerc 16
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Gerhard Berger 28
- Lewis Hamilton 44
- Carlos Sainz jr 55
510,900 comments on Ferrari
284 members have this team as their favourite
Tweets about Ferrari

Replies (1)
Login to replyPosts: 893
You never have complete control since you cannot control what others do around you ;)