Verstappen's father thinks Hamilton is rattled
Max Verstappen's father thinks the on-form Red Bull driver has rattled reigning five time world champion and 2019 championship leader Lewis Hamilton.
"When you see what kind of races Max has been driving, I don't think you can be surprised," Jos Verstappen, himself a former F1 driver, said of his son. He thinks Hamilton and Mercedes are clearly coming under pressure from Max. "You can tell by the things Hamilton has been saying," Jos said. "Why would he respond to rumours? He says that the Honda engine is better than Mercedes now, but I don't think that's the case on the straights."
At the same time, Jos says his 21-year-old son is remaining cool, even after securing his first ever pole position in Hungary. "Max never spoke to me about that," he said. "It never bothered him. He is totally unconcerned with things like that." Verstappen's only focus, it seems, is on victories and the world championship. Jos said Max will "absolutely" be at Red Bull-Honda in 2020.
"I think this is the beginning of a new era," former F1 driver Stefan Johansson predicts. "As I said a year ago, Verstappen and Honda will dominate, probably for four or five years once they get it right, which they will. "When Honda is committed they always get it right in the end, and once they do they are very hard to stop," he added.
And when that happens, Jos thinks his son will be a "hero" in Japan. "What happened with Senna may now happen with Max. And that's only good," Verstappen senior said.
For a start, Verstappen is fully supportive of Red Bull's decision at the end of last year to dump Renault and switch to Honda. "The whole preparation is so much better than in previous years," Max said.
"There is a real collaboration and exchange of ideas between Red Bull and Honda. We try to help them, they try to help us," he added. "The Honda people are real winners and so are we. The level of devotion is the same on both sides."
However, with the points gap to Hamilton standing at almost 70 points, team boss Christian Horner thinks a true championship challenge will need to wait for now. "As we get better performance from the car, and as Honda moves forward, it will be a year of construction for 2020," he is quoted by France's Auto Hebdo. "Hopefully there are more exciting races to come this year, and Max can keep racing against Lewis and Ferrari. It's promising for the future," said Horner.
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Jos Verstappen talks with forked tongue. Who is he trying to kid. He got 17 points over 9 years in F1. OK points were probably leaner in that period and did have results in some other races. But seems to have had a number of incidents tied up with violence including arrests. Too hot a temper. Not a great Max fan but hope he does not inherit too many genes from his father.
John,
Yes, Verstappen Senior is, in a way, a basket case. Too pent up! In Max's young days, before Formula 1, Jos refused to speak to him for two weeks, because Max did not win a particular race. That made me both to have sympathy for Max and to intensely dislike his father.
As for his comments about Lewis, they are not altogether to be dismissed, Jos's own mediocre performance as a driver notwithstanding.
Jos is onto something inasmuch as Lewis has set himself up. Like Alonso, Lewis has created (by himself and by others) this aura about himself. Alonso constantly broadcasting his quest for "triple crown," is mimicked by Lewis's , (what looks like an) obsession to tople Michael Schumacher record, has set him up to be vulnerable to all sorts of pressure.
Lewis is an excellent driver, but he is not God. His desire to live up that billing is not cost free. If Jos Verstappen can get at him by voicing opinions that will both intimidate and infuriate Lewis I don't see why he wouldn't do it.
And we know who will benefit from that - Max. Maybe that is Jos's way of making up to Max for mistreating him when Max was very young.
Hi Simon, Thanks for your comments. In all the time I have seen interviews etc with Lewis he has generally stayed away from looking into the future records. I think a lot of these comments come from the media. Obviously I am a Lewis fan from McLaren days when they were my major interest in F1. I spent 47 years in New Zealand and followed Lotus and Mclaren in the 60s and 70s. I was a totally Jim Clark fan but also Bruce McLaren. I seriously think that Lewis has it under control - would take a lot to phase him.
John, hi,
You are so right about Lewis's personality.
I have said so many times that I am in a sort of "divided loyalties territory" about Lewis. As a person, and a driver I genuinely like him. Regrettably, this "Hamilton-package" that many are obsequious to, and that media panders to, turns me off big time. As a result I am indifferent to him, at best, but, perhaps deep down take some pleasure at seeing other cars beating him to the checkered flag.
As for Max, pretty much the same applies. In the beginning I was getting quite sick of this new "El Cordobes" of the formula. The whole field had nothing to say but Mx, Max, Max. That put me off, and I pretty much ignored him, until everybody turned on him and started moralizing about him "not having respect for older drivers." True to my contrarian instincts, I started sympathizing with him, and he was on my short list of five favourite drivers. Now, that he is being, again, treated as the best thing since sliced bread, and has been turned into an adulation object (not altogether unlike Hamilton and Alonso themselves) I have taken him off that list.
It is really regrettable that the whole Formula enterprize is set up in such a way that genuine fans of racing and drivers have to go through all these commercial, propaganda/advertising "filters" to have a reasonable and balanced views and opinions.
I am afraid I'll be long gone before things change for the better.
I think Jos and Max are very similar, they believe people in F1 with multiple championships only have it because their car was the best.
Max did not win in a torro rosso, he did not come anywhere close and when the redbull has the best car he can win, but then has the cheek to say Hamilton only wins because he has the best car. He wants to take everything from other people that he has never had.
Max has never won a worthy championship in his professional career, apart from junior karting. So i think until this spoiled little brat actually becomes a WORLD CHAMPION he should shut up and focus on winning and do his talking on the track.
We dont need another Nico Rosberg who is bitterly jealous of the success others have achieved
Junior karting.
He was world champion shift karts in 2013.
Max was a junior the series definitely not.
Its still junior compared to the likes of Super formula, F3, F2,
Lots of other drivers have gone through these ranks earning titles along the way.
He has not done this, so when he is a multiple world champion across different racing divisions he can talk like a cocky b@stard.
As for Hamilton being rattled, you dont see him saying he will knock people out if they keep criticizing him as max did last year when he went through his crashing stage.
Its no secret that anyone on the grid should be able to win in a Mercedes but Bottas has not finished in second place each year or been in contention for the championship for long.
Mike,
Your assessment "We dont need another Nico Rosberg who is bitterly jealous of the success others have achieved" sounds fair, but the issue is not as straight -forward as it seems.
Rosberg may not be a driver with the same qualities or achievements that Lewis can boast. However, the fact remains that Rosberg beat Lewis and was a Champion in 2016. That simply is a fact, regardless of the interpretations we all tend to put on it.
What interests - and annoys - me in that particular regard is the media's obsequious pandering to Hamilton, and many Formular enthusiasts jumping on that bandwagon.
In 2016 media were in utter disbelief that Rosberg outqualified Hamilton for six races in a row. The question was put to Mr. Lauda, kind of what is happening, how could that be? He answered matter-of-factly: the answer is simple, he drove faster. We have to respect that.
While I recognise that lot of people do not think highly of Rosberg, they should not feel free to distort the facts. People are free to speculate why he stopped racing. Many think that he did not want to face Lewis again. I have no idea whether that is the case or not, but neither do all of those who take that line of reasoning. It was his right to to stop racing, which is what he chose.
Turning this entire episode into yet another feather in Lewis's hat is exactly what turns many, myself included, away from Lewis.
Mike,
Your statement "We dont need another Nico Rosberg who is bitterly jealous of the success others have achieved" undoubtedly represents sentiments of many. However, it is not as straight-forward as it seems. Too many people practice shrink vigilantism on this board, particularly against Vettel and Rosberg.
Whatever mental and psychological make up of Rosberg may be the fact remains that he was a 2016 Champion and he beat Hamilton.
Regrettably, media shamelessly pander to Hamilton and many enthusiasts are on that band-wagon for a joy-ride. During the 2106 season Rosberg outqualified Hamilton for 6 races in a row. Media were in shock and disbelief. The question was put to Mr. Lauda, kind of "how could this be, what is happening?" and Mr. Lauda answered matter-of-factly: Simple, he drove faster. We have to respect that.
Whatever induced Rosberg to stop racing is a speculation on posters' part, at best. He did what he did, which is his right. Shrink vigilantism against him (and Vettel this year) hardly helps the matters.
Many seem to consider Rosberg's decision to be yet another feather in Hamilton's hat. And that is exactly what turns many, myself included, off Lewis.
Regrettable, but that is the nature of contrarians, which I am. I tend to side with underdogs and Lewis does not fit the category.
I agree with lots of what you've said but personally I'd like another Rosberg. I appreciate that some people call him for some of his opinions but then he's got a Vlog to sell but he was a fantastic driver. In my opinion one of the best single WDC drivers in my living memory. He was great over one lap and was a hell of a racer and very difficult to beat if he was in front after the first lap. It was only in wheel to wheel combat that Hamilton had a clear advantage.
And more than any other driver, including Max he got inside Hamilton head and that gave us some great battles. Winning the WDC shouldn't be a breeze and when Lewis and Nico were team mates even the inter team rivalry was worth the ticket price.
In my opinion unfortunately the F1 circus is to blame, The hype is placed on drivers to attract spectators and viewers. The current era is commercialized and every aspect is being exploited . What would happen if Daniel Ricciardo, Kimi Räikkönen or Carlos Sainz Jr. drove the Mercedes and Max Verstappen, Lewis Hamilton or Sebastian Vettel drove the Renault or Mclaren . Would Lewis be leading the championship ? I am not advocating a one car make but the disparity between the constructors is enormous. That is where the Ruling Body failed miserably, add painted track limits and a host of rules open for interpretation and that is what we are stuck with. Endurance racing is the closest thing to real driver testing and showing
Jos, I'm afraid is a stereotypical "angry man" and was throughout his F1 career. He had his best stats in his first year of driving and ever since then blamed others winning on better machinery. He remained bitter at least until the end of his career and probably still up to this point. He never really got to understand that the best drivers gravitate to the best car and Job wasn't special enough. Max on the other hand will likely do this provided a Norris, Sainz or Albon doesn't spoil his party.
The rest is just the media circus, which is so desperate for a story during the Summer shutdown that it prints any load of rubbish from a parent that should allow his son to breathe.
Years of inhaling exhaust fumes from the back of the grid have clearly taken a toll on this deluded old man. Jos is an idiot.
I'm sure this is true to a degree, Lewis already has 5 championships so his mental toughness is undeniable. Max has been a bit shrill with his radio banter several times so not an iceman yet but driving like the future champ he will be.
And Lewis is the iceman?
He even questioned his team when they put him on the only strategy to win this race
I guess his die hard fans would say so but he’s obviously felt the pressure over the last few meets, probably lucky that the press have been doing overtime on Seb, Pierre and Haas leaving him be mostly.
Lewis will just step up gear he is very humble and
professional in all ways Vestappen senior needs pull his head out of his backside and help his son mature the right way I can remember him when he was driving he was a arrogant person then himself
Hungary... Lewis drove a mega race. Ask any other driver to do what Bono requested and they would not have been able to do it. Seriously guys, I have been watching f1 since Frank Williams drove a MG Special at Oulton Park, Moss drove a Maserati 250F that day before joining Fangio at Mercedes. No English driver has Lewis's track record. Max may be a champion one day, but until then Lewis is "The Man".'
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