Respect for Jos Verstappen: 'Wanted us to do our best with his boy'

Max Verstappen 's world title at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix was to be expected according to Xevi Pujolar, but the former Toro Rosso engineer believes Jos Verstappen deserves recognition for the major role he has played in his son's career.

Pujolar was an engineer at Toro Rosso when Verstappen drove there, namely between 2014 and 2016. The Spaniard quickly saw that the Dutchman would become champion sooner or later, because he had something other drivers didn't. No driver was as motivated as the world champion, but his father also played a big part in that, according to him: "I am sure that his father Jos and the fact that he experienced motorsport as a child contributed to that," he tells at La Gazzetta dello Sport.

The motivation and drive of the 24-year old driver made the 48-year old Pujolar believe that he would one day become world champion. He admits that Jos' attitude was sometimes aggressive, especially during the karting sessions, but he has done everything to get his son to the top of motorsport. He partly owes the world title to him: "Verstappen's father gave us a lot, but he demanded the same in return: from him and from all of us. He wanted us to do our best with his boy. Jos knew how to raise a champion."

The former Formula One driver's behavior and attitude is still sometimes criticized, but Pujolar has no bad stories about the 49-year-old father. The character of father and son Verstappen is very similar according to him. They are both introverted, but demanding and always want to go to the extreme. Jos' treatment only helped Verstappen to win the world title with Red Bull Racing.