Jos Verstappen was amazed by Max: 'What I'm experiencing now, isn't normal'

With two races to go and only eight points difference between title contenders Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, the Formula One World Championship will reach its climax in the coming weeks. Former Formula 1 driver Giedo van der Garde looks back on the beginning of the career of Verstappen in Dutch tv-show Beau.

Van der Garde became world champion in karts in 2002 and was coached by Jos Verstappen at the time. Van der Garde remembers Max stepping into a go-kart for the first time that year. "That was quite something to see, such a small guy just above the wheel. In the end, of course, he has already had a fantastic career from the karts to where he is now."

Jos Verstappen soon saw the talent in his son and decided to guide him intensively. According to Van der Garde, Jos went all out. "Max really owes his career to Jos, who gave everything for him," says Van der Garde.

It soon became clear that Verstappen has a lot of talent. "When he was eight years old, he was already beating boys two years older. He was killing everyone." According to Van der Garde, Jos was on top of things. "He obviously saw that his son was good." In 2013, Verstappen became world champion in go-karts, before making the switch to Formula 3.

Van der Garde can still remember that moment well. "After the first test in England, I had Jos on the phone. He said 'what I am experiencing now is not normal. He drives out of the pit lane and immediately does the first lap faster than anyone else. That boy is unbelievable'."