Max Verstappen has revealed that he was often ‘triggered’ by his father Jos’s insistence that winning is the only result that matters during his childhood career in karting. The Red Bull driver is often seen with his father at Grand Prix weekends and was mentored by the 50-year-old, who raced for seven different teams over the course of his eight-year F1 career, on his journey to becoming a two- time Drivers’ Championship winner.
Verstappen has since gained a formidable reputation for his win-at-all-costs approach to racing, with the Dutchman often criticized for a lack of consideration while attempting to pass other drivers on track as a result of his sheer determination to finish first. He admitted in an interview with Viaplay that his father used to say that the second-placed driver in a race is only the first loser, which irritated him on a number of occasions while growing up.
“Second is terrible, it’s the first loser,” said Verstappen. “My dad always told me [second is] the first loser. It triggered me, you know? It’s not nice.”
The Red Bull talisman went on to explain that his father is also responsible for his refusal to use ‘p**** pads’, a crude term used to describe padded material that can be placed around a driver’s head and neck to help prevent muscle pain caused by the G-forces experienced through corners.
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“I was just getting started in Formula Renault testing and I got invited for an F3 test and it was a lot tougher,” he said, recalling another story from his younger days in racing.
“After a few runs I couldn’t keep my head up. I needed padding on the sides in Valencia and because it was anti-clockwise it made it even worse. Normally you’re used to clockwise tracks and your neck is used to that.
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“My dad called it a ‘p**** pad’. Since that day I refuse to use it. In 2020 we arrived at Mugello and nobody really knew how heavy it was going to be, some drivers had already put the padding in . The team asked me if I want padding as well and I said: ‘Even if my head falls off, I am not using that ever again.'”
Verstappen has regularly thanked his father, who never managed to win a single Grand Prix during his own spell in F1, for helping him to fulfill his potential behind the wheel over the course of his racing career to date. It remains to be seen whether Jos will be able to watch his son clinch yet another Drivers’ Championship title at the end of next season, though, with the likes of Ferrari and Mercedes hoping to pose a major threat to Red Bull’s hopes of glory over the course of the campaign.
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