Michael Schumacher's advice to Max Verstappen as F1 legend's influence becomes clear

Michael Schumacher's advice to Max Verstappen as F1 legend's influence becomes clear Newspoint | 2025-01-11 18:39:15

Jos Verstappen believes guidance may have helped to become a four-time champion.

star Verstappen Jnr made his F1 debut in 2015 as a 17-year-old, by which point Schumacher had already suffered his life-changing accident. To this day, the seven-time champion continues to recover from the injuries sustained when his head hit a rock after he fell while skiing off-piste in the French Alps.

But before that tragic incident, Schumacher was not only focused on his own racing career but also on motorsport future. He took him karting as a child and competed alongside another son of a former F1 driver in young Max.

Michael and were team-mates at Benetton during the 1994 season. And while there can sometimes be tension between those competing against one another within the same outfit, they built a friendship which was passed on into their sons.

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Asked by what his relationship with the seven-time F1 champion was like, Verstappen Snr said: "Always good. He tried hard, even after his career. We often went karting with our children Mick and Max.

"Michael didn't differentiate between Max and Mick. If he had something to say, he told them both. It's quite possible that Max also benefited from these experiences. Max has a lot in common with Michael - uncompromising on the racetrack, but kind, sensitive and caring as a private person."

The bond between Schumacher and young Max as a child was illustrated in the series Formula 1: Drive to Survive in 2023. , including one in which Schumacher is cradling they young Dutch racer in his arms alongside his son Mick.

In the show, Max explained: "We used to go on holidays when we were little together, the two families, and these kind of memories will stay with me. For both of us to be in F1 is amazing and also for Michael, he's a very proud dad for sure."

While Michael enjoyed a far more successful F1 career than his friend Jos, the table have turned when it comes to their offspring. Max heads into the 2025 season seeking to match Schumacher's record of five straight drivers' titles, while Mick faces the prospect of never getting the chance to race in the series again.

He has now been off the grid for two full seasons and 2025 will be the third, following his axe by at the end of 2022. Mick then spent two years as a reserve for in the hope of using it as a springboard back into a race seat, but .