With four world titles to his name, Max Verstappen is considered one of the best drivers in Formula 1. One of the secrets behind the Dutchman’s success is his ability to overtake his competitors, even with unconventional line choices. His father, Jos Verstappen, explains how his son can ‘overtake anywhere’.
Max Verstappen, with four world titles and 63 Grand Prix victories under his belt, has proven himself to be one of the best drivers. The Dutchman is known for not shying away from on-track battles with his competitors, often using unconventional line choices. His father, Jos Verstappen, explains that he has been teaching his son this since his karting days.
“Overtaking was a major focus for me when I was training Max, because I believe you can overtake in the wrong way,” Verstappen senior explains to German Speedweek. “If he lost time during an overtaking manoeuvre, I would try to explain to him how he could do it better.”
Extra Challenge
Verstappen, who is now active as a rally driver, tried to make it extra difficult for his son to overtake a rival. “I went so far as to forbid him to attack in places that seemed too easy to me. I told him: ‘You can only attack here, here and there, but nowhere else’. And those were corners where others might not attack because it is much more difficult. That is one of the reasons why we later got the impression in Formula 1 that Max could overtake anywhere,” concludes Verstappen.
