Despite the fame and popularity that Verstappen has garnered over the years, Max Verstappen has been a constant part of a controversy involving his father, Jos Verstappen. Jos Verstappen has been a part of controversies ever since his F1 days. The driver made headlines for assaulting and more.
However, one of the biggest conversations has been him hitting Max Verstappen when he was only a young boy in karting. The rumor started when Max Verstappen first talked about Jos leaving him at a gas station.
At the time, Jos was still an F1 driver, although he never won a championship. When he saw his son take a second position, he was reminded of living in Michael Schumacher’s shadows. So when Max did not stop talking in the car, Jos left him at a gas station in the night out of a fit of rage.
🗣️| Max on his childhood:
“From a young age, I saw other kids running around, playing, not really thinking about the future, but my dad, he had a plan. And I had to stick to the plan.”#F1 pic.twitter.com/JPva9JgFoV
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) November 8, 2023
Luckily, Max’s mother showed up in no time to get Max Verstappen back home. Apart from these tiny incidences, Max Verstappen has confessed he needed that during that time. One of the many times, Jos also told the young boy he could only become a bus driver.
Although this shaped the Dutchman’s life as a champion, it was definitely not anyone who agreed was the best parenting. The three-time champion also confessed to getting hit on his head with his helmet still on once. However, Jos says it was the only time he hit his son.
He said, “He needed that.” He then pointed out that Max Verstappen won that day after being hit. However, the speculations have remained.
Why was Jos Verstappen convicted in 1998?
Although Jos Verstappen has been in many news headlines, one stuck by him for a long time. While it is known that he was abusive towards Max Verstappen and his mother, the driver seemed to have gotten into some legal mess. He lived in his teammate’s shadows and never got a chance to win a championship himself.
Nonetheless, it did not stop him from making a champion-winning son. However, it was before he could watch his son winning that Jos Verstappen was almost convicted of assault. The situation went back to a karting incident.
The ex-driver was put with his friends on a karting track and soon got into a fistfight with another group of people who wanted to use the place. Jos ended up hitting the victim on the head which resulted in the victim having a fractured skull.
Jos Verstappen.
2012: Argued with ex-gf then deliberately hit her with his car leaving heavy bruises and abrasions.
2008: 3 months suspended jail time & fined for harassment and assault against his ex-wife.
1998/2000: Convicted of assault – a man suffered a fractured skull. pic.twitter.com/43nL49bei1— Eascxa (@eascxa) June 1, 2022
The 45-year-old man was luckily fine and received instant medical care. However, Verstappen was soon found guilty by the Belgian court. But the driver made a settlement with the victim outside the court which helped him get a lesser sentence.
Verstappen was given a five-year suspended sentence. If he was caught in any sort of violent or assault case, the driver could get a full sentence. Jos Verstappen walked out of the court free.