Peter de Bruijn has mentored many renowned racers. Kimi Räikkönen, Valtteri Bottas, and Kevin Magnussen all raced for his kart team. Even Jos Verstappen, in his early years, was under De Bruijn’s wing. “The beauty of the Verstappen family lies in their determination,” he says.
At the end of 1988, De Bruijn faced a problem as he lost his lead racer. He immediately thought of Jos Verstappen as a replacement. He had known him for years, and the young racer had previously raced for his team. “But Jos had quit karting. So, I called his father, Frans, to tell him that I had a seat available. Jos had gained some weight and needed to diet, but from January 1989, we started testing and training intensively. And it wasn’t without results. That year, we became European champions in two classes,” De Bruijn recalls.
“You essentially saved Jos Verstappen’s career in 1989,” suggests André Venema. “You could say that now, but such things are always hard to predict,” De Bruijn acknowledges. “But the beauty of the Verstappen family is the determination they had in the sport. They were willing to give it their all. And when someone is so committed, it automatically motivates you to do more.”
Unfortunately, the fairy tale didn’t last long. At the end of the year, De Bruijn had a disagreement with Frans Verstappen, which marked the end of their collaboration. “I found it very annoying because we had a very good year and the future looked promising. It was important for both Jos and me, so when it ends like that, it’s quite bitter,” he says.
