Jos Verstappen open about tough upbringing Max: 'That's what made him the way he is'

Max Verstappen has always been open about the fact that he was raised with a hard hand by his father, Jos. Jos Verstappen acknowledges that his son has not had an easy upbringing but is convinced that it has shaped his son into who he is today.

Jos Verstappen is incredibly proud of his son, but the results the Red Bull Racing star driver is achieving in Formula 1 have not come out of the blue. Apart from the natural talent Max Verstappen possesses, his father's upbringing has also played a big role in his success.

"At the beginning of his career, I treated him hard, but he needed that," Jos said in a conversation with the Italian branch of Sky Sports. "I think it was good because it laid the foundations to get him where he is now. I was hard on him, and I was strict, but because of that, he has become what he is. Max came to F1 with a lot of confidence and was not afraid of anything."

"I think what he has done cannot be explained. It is beyond my expectations," says the former F1 driver. "I didn't expect him to be so good. The way he wins races and how many he has won already, we never expected that. He obviously loves what he does, he has a good car, and if he has a good team around him, he can do fantastic."