Jos Verstappen: “Watching Max drive an F1 car is just as exciting as racing myself”

Retired from the circuits for a long time, Jos Verstappen put his helmet back on to practice another discipline: rally. The father of the three-time world champion Formula 1 Max Verstappen competed in several national and European events in Skoda Fabia Rally2 in 2023, with Belgian Renaud Jamoul as co-driver.

Asked by Dutch magazine “Formula 1” on his new hobby, the man with 107 Grand Prix participations drew a parallel between this new hobby and the follow-up of the career of his son Max Verstappen.

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“Believe me, I felt the same adrenaline with Max as I did behind the wheel of a rally car. But it's come to a stage where I don't have anything left to do, and it's time I start doing fun things for myself. And I really like doing that, because I need that adrenaline.”, did he declare.

“You can't compare the feeling you get from driving a car yourself to the feeling you get from watching a Formula 1 race. It's very different, but not more exciting, because watching Max drive an F1 car is just as exciting as racing myself. »

“I would rather Max win than myself. But of course it would be better if the two went together: Max wins in Formula 1 and I win in rallying. This is our goal every time we compete. »

Jos Verstappen does not intend to compete in WRC2 in the near future, nor the WRC. For him, rallying is fun! “Our team is called Verstappen.com Racing, we have the support of Red Bull and we collaborate with Wevers Sport, which takes care of the maintenance of the car. We decide for ourselves where we ride. Above all, it must be fun and there should be no frustration. I spend a lot of time on it. If it's not fun, it's a waste of time. »

The former F1 driver will certainly focus on the BRC, the Belgian Rally Championship. “I think within a year or two I will really be able to compete for the highest level in Belgium. If you look at the world level, I'm not up to par, and that doesn't bother me. I like watching the WRC, but I don't have the ambition to go in that direction. Last year I took part in a WRC rally in Ypres. It keeps you busy for a whole week, and I noticed I had been away from home too long. I am satisfied with the current situation. »