Jos on Max' chances for 2020: 'I'm hopeful!'

Published on 02 December 2019 by Stefan Meens

In an interview for Ziggo Sport’s Peptalk, Jos Verstappen reflected on the last Formula 1 race of the season, the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix in which his son Max finished second. P2 at the Yas Marina Circuit meant the Aston Martin Red Bull Racing driver clinched third place in the drivers world championship.

Asked how he would rank his son’s season, Jos is clearly proud: “I give him a ten out of ten. He only gets that if he’s done really well and I think he couldn’t have finished any higher this year.”

Looking ahead to next year, Verstappen sr remains realistic: “It’s always a case of wait and see. Red Bull is enthusiastic about next year, but so are Ferrari and Mercedes. It is important we are ready from the start. There’s a bigger chance they will be because the regulations stay the same. I’m hopeful, but we’ll have to wait and see.”

In 2019, Max scored three victories; in Austria, Germany and Brazil, Max crossed the line as the winner. “Austria was the nicest. That one was really important for Red Bull and Honda. It was a home race at the Red Bull Ring and over 20.000 Dutch fans attended. It all added up to be the nicest victory.

In addition to his trio of wins, Max also scored three pole positions, of which one was taken away. “Qualifying is important. You have to be on the front row to have a better chance of winning. But I enjoy a victory more!”

“Nevertheless, we are getting closer. You could see that in Abu Dhabi. It’s not the best track for the RB15 but Max was only 0.36 off pole position. If his last lap had been perfect, it would’ve only been two tents. It shows we are getting closer and that the chances for next year are improving”, concluded Jos.