Jos Verstappen, Max's proud father highlighted his son's fighting spirit as the Red Bull driver ended Lewis Hamilton's reign as Formula 1 Champion and took his first Title in Abu Dhabi on Sunday.
The former F1 racer also revealed he had walked away at one point in a race of changing fortunes when it looked like the dream was over.
Max really deserved the Championship
"Because of the safety car we are in this position but still you have to do it," Jos told Sky Sports television after his son overtook Hamilton on the last lap of a dramatic and controversial race.
"I think the team had a good strategy on that as well, they called him in. They are doing a lot of things very good and I think Max was the driver this year and he really deserved this championship.
"He kept fighting. He will always fight. That's in his DNA, I guess... he said to me 'every lap I was flat out' and he was driving to the maximum. And then he had one chance, one lap and that's what he took."
Verstappen had started the race level on points with Hamilton but 9-8 ahead on wins, and there were fears a collision could settle the outcome.
They came close to contact but stayed apart, Hamilton leading but Verstappen brought back into play by strategic pitstops and the safety car just when his hopes appeared to be over.
"During the race I walked away because I didn't believe it any more. But I came back the last lap," said Jos.
A special moment between father and son
Verstappen junior, also reflected what winning the title meant for his father as well as himself, the pair going through so much together on their way to F1 and the ultimate prize, the Drivers' Crown.
"My goal when I was little was of course to become a Formula 1 driver," he said to Sky Sports F1.
"You hope for wins, you hope to be on the podium," he went on. "When they play the national anthem, you hope they one day play yours and when you stand here and they tell you that you are the world champion, it's something incredible.
"Especially also with my dad, the special moment we also had here," Verstappen touched on his moment with his supporting father post-race.
"All the things come back through your mind; all the years where you spent together travelling for that goal.
"Then you're here together and everything comes together in the last lap," the 2021 F1 World Champion concluded.
Jos Verstappen has always been a fixed figure in his son's racing career, a F1 driver himself who was team mate of future seven-times world champion Michael Schumacher at Benetton in 1994.
He also drove for Benetton, Simtek, Arrows, Tyrrell, Stewart and Minardi before retiring in 2003 and putting all his focus on his son's impressive career in motor sports. (Extra Reporting by Alan Baldwin/Reuters)
Latest News
Loading
