Ex-F1 team boss claims Max Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, could have entered F1 without a question

Eddie Jordan believes Sophie Kumpen would have been an excellent F1 driver.

Ex-F1 team boss claims Max Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, could have entered F1 without a question

Max Verstappen, Sophie Kumpen (Image via The Sun)

Former F1 team owner Eddie Jordan and ex-F1 driver David Coulthard discussed the future of women racing in F1 in the “Formula For Success” podcast. They shared their thoughts on how long it would take for a woman to reach Formula 1, and Coulthard believes it would take almost a decade. Jordan, meanwhile, claims double world champion Max Verstappen’s mother, Sophie Kumpen, could have made it into F1. 

Many know that Verstappen’s father Jos was a former F1 driver. However, it might come as a surprise that his mother was also a skilled driver. It turns out Verstappen got the racing genes from both his parents. Sophie Kumpen was a karting driver in the 1980s. She competed against many known names in F1, like the former world champion Jenson Button. 

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Eddie Jordan claims Sophie Kumpen could have made it into Formula 1. He stated, “The only person that I think they could have done that within my time is with Max’s mum because I think that Max Verstappen’s mother was a serious, absolutely wonderfully quick girl, and she, without any question, could have made it, in my opinion, into F1. But there wasn’t a mechanism there to help her.”

Related: Susie Wolff passes verdict on inclusion of women in F1, saying, “We just need more young women entering the sport”

David Coulthard says it would take almost a decade for women to reach F1

F1 (Image via the official F1 website)
F1 (Image via the official F1 website)

Sophie Kumpen also competed against Red Bull team boss Christian Horner in 1989. It was the junior kart world championship, and she finished in the top ten. Jordan believes Kumpen could have entered the sport, but there was no mechanism to help her. However, times have changed, and they want more diversity now. David Coulthard thinks women will race in F1 within the next decade. 

Coulthard stated, “I believe that in the next decade, if not before, there will be a worthy woman racing in F1. It’s about being able to create opportunities and develop your skills in the same way as a Verstappen or a Lewis Hamilton.” The 52-year-old hopes the sport will create more opportunities for women and help them hone their skills. 

There are no rules that prevent women from competing in F1, which has witnessed several talented female drivers in the past. However, this male-dominated sport is more difficult for women as they face many challenges.

It is expensive and can cost hundreds of thousands, and women face issues like lack of funding. Therefore, F1 personalities like Susie Wolff and David Coulthard believe it would take almost a decade to see women racing at the pinnacle of motorsports. 

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