Max Verstappen’s motivation regarding Formula 1 may be diminishing, according to his father, Jos Verstappen. The former F1 driver stated he has a bleak outlook on his son’s future in the category, mainly because of the characteristics of current cars.
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This statement comes amid criticism from the Verstappen family regarding Formula 1’s recent technical regulations. For Jos, the driving style required by current cars, with heavy dependence on battery management, reduces the role of driver skill and makes races less challenging.
Speaking to the newspaper De Telegraaf, Jos explained his view on the problem: “As a driver, you should be rewarded for your courage and skill. But if now you go through a corner as fast as possible, throughout the lap you end up being slower. This takes away all the feeling of racing,” he stated.
The former driver also criticized analysts who attribute Verstappen’s complaints to Red Bull Racing’s lack of competitiveness. According to him, the four-time champion’s dissatisfaction is not linked to the team’s current performance: “I have the impression that some people say things just to stay in the spotlight. Max’s feeling in the car has nothing to do with performance”.
Jos also highlighted that his son simply answers questions with honesty, and not that he is constantly bringing up the topic on his own: “They should appreciate how straightforward Max is. Or do they only want people who agree with everything? Or drivers who say everything is great, but don’t believe it?”, he questioned.
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Beyond technical criticism, Jos revealed concern about his son’s motivation in the long term. According to him, despite recognizing the team’s effort to improve the car, the current challenge has not been enough to maintain the four-time champion’s enthusiasm: “Racing with these cars doesn’t challenge him. Honestly, I’m afraid Max will lose motivation,” he added.
The former driver also compared the current situation with the past: “He used to think that driving a Formula 1 car was the most beautiful thing that existed. But now I have a rather bleak outlook. I would like to say it’s not like that, but looking to the future I see that this could become a problem,” he concluded.
Max Verstappen has a contract with Red Bull Racing until the end of 2028. The driver himself has previously stated that any eventual continuation in Formula 1 will depend on how much he is still having fun in the category.
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