“He’s an a***,” Jos Verstappen hits out at British F1 fans over wrong image of Max Verstappen

Jos Verstappen defended his son Max Verstappen over his perceived negative image by British fans.

“He’s an a***,” Jos Verstappen hits out at British F1 fans over wrong image of Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Jos Verstappen (via Red Bull)

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Max Verstappen is arguably the biggest name in Formula 1 at the moment. The four-time world champion has gained an incredible fan following over the years. However, the Red Bull star also has a big group of haters, who have often booed him during races. Now, Verstappen’s father Jos Verstappen has asserted that some viewers have a wrong perception of the 27-year-old.

It is not unusual for a driver to get jeers in F1. Even the likes of Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel have faced boos in the past. Max Verstappen has been the recipient of such reactions on numerous occasions, particularly during his dominant performances. The Red Bull driver disregards such crowd behavior, and focuses solely on his on-track performances.

Jos Verstappen insisted that British fans seem to have a wrong image of the four-time world champion. According to the former Arrows driver, fans in Britain consider Max Verstappen as a rude figure. Though, he accepted that such a perception might’ve formed due to social media. But for the 53-year-old, his son does not have such an attitude.

I think that a lot of people, maybe especially the British, have a wrong image of him. That he’s an a**hole, or something. Perhaps that’s also due to the present time with social media. But I absolutely do not recognize that.

Jos Verstappen told De Telegraaf

It is not surprising that British fans have an unfavorable image of Max Verstappen. The Red Bull star ended the dominance of Lewis Hamilton, perhaps the greatest British racing driver in history. Moreover, even Lando Norris has struggled to match Verstappen. Thus, the crowds in Britain are simply not happy to see their home stars be outperforming by the reigning world champion.

Jos Verstappen recalls Max Verstappen’s special maiden F1 title

Max Verstappen won his first Formula 1 world championship at the infamous 2021 Abu Dhabi GP. Verstappen was seemingly set to lose the title when a late Safety Car tilted things in his favor. The Dutch driver was on fresher tires compared to race-leader Lewis Hamilton with just one lap to go. Verstappen managed to swiftly make his way past his championship rival and went on to win the race.

Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, 2021 Abu Dhabi GP (Via IMAGO)
Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen, 2021 Abu Dhabi GP (Via IMAGO)

Jos Verstappen still fondly remembers the race. The 53-year-old asserted that the entire situation made the championship win even more special. The senior Verstappen claimed that he often looks back at the final lap of the race. He pointed out that it was simply incredible to see Max Verstappen overtake Lewis Hamilton on the final lap after spending the majority of the race behind the Mercedes.

A first title is naturally very special, but everything around it made it even more special.Every now and then I see a video of that last lap. It remains special. How Max puts his car next to Hamilton’s and overtakes him… While we actually had no chance up to that final phase. Hamilton was simply too fast at that moment.

Jos Verstappen added

Certainly, the 2021 Abu Dhabi GP will never be forgotten. The late Safety Car and subsequent decisions made by then-Race Director Michael Masi came under scrutiny following the race. While the FIA did not change the race results, Masi was removed from his role in race control. Nevertheless, the race remains one of the most important moments in Max Verstappen’s career.

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