Jos Verstappen has hailed his son Max Verstappen and believes that it is only now that people are beginning to understand how special the Red Bull driver really is.
Jos told Formule 1 Magazine: “Max is increasingly showing how special he is. And he’s still just a sweetheart. I mean it sincerely. Max is very pleasant company. And you know what’s most important: he’s down to earth.
“When Max walks into the paddock, he still greets those who were there for him ten years ago.
“Believe me, there are people who walk through the paddock very differently… Max is just himself and very normal.
“People are now realising how special Max is; thanks in part to him, Formula 1 has gained a bit more life this season.
“Because without Max, the championship would be a bit duller.
“Now it has something extra, because Max is in it. You see that with other teams too: They don’t take Red Bull into account, they take Max into account.
“I can imagine there’s some nervousness at McLaren, because this might be both drivers’ only chance at a world title.
“You never know if you’ll find yourself in that position again, right? But it’s like Max says: you either become champion or you don’t. If it doesn’t work out, we’ll try again next year.”