Max Verstappen claims Jos Verstappen supposedly snubbing Sergio Perez at Jeddah was ‘completely normal’
Jos Verstappen received criticism for not congratulating Sergio Perez in Jeddah, however, his son backs him.
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Max and Jos Verstappen. Image via Sportskeeda.
Jos Verstappen is a popular figure in F1. Though he had a long career in the sport, he is now best known as Max Verstappen’s father. He played a fundamental role in his son’s career. The former F1 driver attends races to support Max. He attended round 2 of the 2023 Formula 1 season, the Saudi Arabian GP. While he hoped his son would win, it was Sergio Perez, Max’s teammate, who won the Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen started 15th due to a driveshaft failure in qualifying. However, he had a good recovery and finished second. It was a 1-2 finish for Red Bull in Jeddah. It was a good result for the team, and Perez jumped on the team staff to celebrate his first win of the season. Jos Verstappen was present during Checo’s celebration but did not appear pleased. It caused a stir in the F1 community. People lashed out at him for not congratulating Perez. Max Verstappen addressed the incident and defended his father.
Max Verstappen, when asked about the incident in a recent interview, stated, “Look: ‘Checo’ gets out of the car and wants to celebrate with his mechanics, which is quite normal. But another father doesn’t belong to that party, of course. Therefore, my father didn’t get in there. I think something like this is completely normal, even if some people don’t see it that way. But it’s okay, so those people just don’t see it that way.”
Max Verstappen firmly believes his father is his biggest fan
The two-time world champion added, “Obviously, my father is my biggest fan. I don’t like to lose, and neither does my father. That’s how we grew up, but they always show the wrong images, of course.” Though Jos Verstappen was targeted for not congratulating Perez in the video, there was a handshake between the two. It was revealed in another clip.
Max Verstappen stated that it did not bother him that his father was criticized on social media. He is not the one to get rattled by what the Twitter community thinks of him and his family. The 25-year-old wants to only focus on what is important. Verstappen had never been a fan of social media, he often received criticisms on these platforms for various reasons over the years.
Sergio Perez also clarified the incident, he admitted that he has a good relationship with Jos and that they respect each other. Perez confirmed that the duo shook hands, and the media did not show that. Along with Max, his teammate Sergio Perez also backed Jos Verstappen. There is no conflict between Perez and Jos. As per the statements, all is well.
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Sugantha Meena
(493 Articles Published)