Jos Verstappen acknowledges tough upbringing but: 'I never abused him'

Jos Verstappen is known to have played a crucial role in his son's success, but his tough upbringing has been criticised on several occasions. Verstappen sr. admitted he was hard on his son, but stressed that he did what he felt was necessary for Max Verstappen to reach the top.

The Viaplay documentary Anatomy of a Champion features a controversial incident from Verstappen's youth. After the then 15-year-old Verstappen lost his chance at the world title in a karting championship due to a mistake, his father left him at a roadside petrol station. Not long after, he was picked up by his mother, but the moment had a big impact on the now two-time World Champion.

Jos Verstappen denies mistreatment

Some call the event an example of abuse, but according to Verstappen Sr. there was absolutely no such thing. "People say how a bad father I was to him, to abuse your child. I never abused him," the former Formula 1 driver said.

Jos does acknowledge that he used harsh parenting methods. "I was teaching him, I was hard on him. That was also my plan so that he learned to think. A lot of people have no idea what what you have to do to arrive at the top of a sport," Jos Verstappen said.