Jos Verstappen facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Jos Verstappen
Verstappen at the 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa
Born	Johannes Franciscus Verstappen (1972-03-04) 4 March 1972 (age 53) Montfort, Limburg, Netherlands
Spouse(s)	Sophie Kumpen ​ ​ (m. 1996; div. 2008)​ Kelly van der Waal ​ ​ (m. 2014; div. 2017)​ Sandy Sijtsma ​ (m. 2018)​
Children	5, including Max
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	Dutch
Active years	1994–1998, 2000–2001, 2003
Teams	Benetton, Simtek, Footwork, Tyrrell, Stewart, Arrows, Minardi
Entries	107 (106 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	2
Career points	17
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1994 Brazilian Grand Prix
Last entry	2003 Japanese Grand Prix
24 Hours of Le Mans career
Years	2008–2009
Teams	Van Merksteijn, Aston Martin
Best finish	10th (2008)
Class wins	1 (2008)

Johannes Franciscus "Jos" Verstappen (born 4 March 1972) is a Dutch former racing driver. He competed in Formula One from 1994 to 2003. Jos is also the father of Max Verstappen, who is a four-time Formula One World Champion.

Jos Verstappen started racing karts when he was eight years old. He quickly became very good at it. After winning two European Karting Championships in 1989, he moved on to car racing. He won the Formula Opel Lotus Benelux Championship in 1992. Later that year, he also won the EFDA Nations Cup for the Netherlands. In 1993, he won the German Formula Three title and the Masters of Formula 3.

In 1994, Jos joined the Benetton Formula One team as a test driver. He got his chance to race when another driver was injured. He became the first Dutch driver to get on the podium in Formula One, finishing third in Hungary and Belgium. After his Formula One career, he raced in A1 Grand Prix and sportscar racing. He won the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans in the LMP2 class. Since 2002, Jos has coached his son Max, helping him become a Formula One champion.

Early Racing Days

Jos Verstappen started karting when he was just 8 years old. He quickly began competing in national races. In 1984, he became the Dutch junior champion. He continued to be very successful in karting. In 1989, he won two European Karting Championships. This was a big achievement that his son Max also matched in 2013.

At the end of 1991, Jos moved into car racing. He started in Formula Opel Lotus, where all the cars are the same. He won the European championship in his first year. This led to an offer to race in Formula Three with Van Amersfoort Racing. This team also helped other famous drivers. During the winter, he raced in New Zealand Formula Atlantic. Then, in German Formula Three, he won many international races. These included the 1993 Masters of Formula 3 and the German Formula 3 championship.

Formula One Career

1994: Racing for Benetton

Jos Verstappen first drove a Formula One car in a test in Portugal. This was on September 28, 1993. Even though the Formula One car was much more powerful, Jos quickly set fast times. He was almost as fast as the regular drivers. After this test, almost every Formula One team wanted to talk to him. He eventually signed with the Benetton team as a test driver for the 1994 season.

Jos got his chance to race when driver JJ Lehto was injured. He made his Formula One debut at the 1994 Brazilian Grand Prix. In that race, he was involved in a crash but was not hurt. Later, he returned to the race seat after Lehto's performance was not strong enough.

A very dramatic event happened to Jos at the 1994 German Grand Prix. During a pit stop, fuel leaked onto his car. The car caught fire for a few seconds with Jos inside! Luckily, he had opened his helmet visor a little. He only got minor burns on his nose. After this, fuel hoses were changed to be safer.

Verstappen driving the Benetton B194 at the 1994 British Grand Prix.

A great moment for Jos was finishing third at the 1994 Hungarian Grand Prix. He also got another third place at the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix. This made him the first Dutch driver to achieve a podium finish in Formula One. He also finished fifth in Portugal. For the last two races of the season, Benetton replaced Jos with a more experienced driver. They wanted to win the Constructors' Championship.

1995: Driving for Simtek

In 1995, Jos was loaned to the Simtek team by Benetton. He showed some good speed, even running in sixth place at the 1995 Argentine Grand Prix. However, the team had many technical problems. Jos only finished one race out of five. Simtek also had money problems and went out of business after the 1995 Monaco Grand Prix. Jos then went back to being a test driver for Benetton.

1996: With Footwork Arrows

In 1996, Jos drove for the Footwork team. He was running fifth in Brazil before he had to stop. He finished sixth in Argentina, scoring his first point of the season. At the 1996 Belgian Grand Prix, a part of his car's suspension broke. This caused a big crash, and Jos suffered a neck injury.

1997: At Tyrrell

In 1997, Jos moved to the Tyrrell team. He did not score any points that year. The team's engine was not very powerful, and they didn't have much money. This made it hard for Jos and his teammate to compete. His best finish for Tyrrell was eighth place at the wet 1997 Monaco Grand Prix.

1998: Joining Stewart

Verstappen's 1998 Stewart SF02, which he drove for the Stewart Grand Prix team

Jos did not have a regular racing seat at the start of 1998. He tested for Benetton again. He eventually returned to racing at the 1998 French Grand Prix, replacing another driver at Stewart. However, the car was not very competitive. Jos did not perform much better than the previous driver.

1999: Honda Test Driver

A Honda RA099 which Verstappen test drove.

Towards the end of 1998, Jos became the test driver for the Honda Formula One project. The plan was for Honda to join Formula One as a team in 2000. Jos tested the new car, and it looked promising. But then, the head of the project sadly passed away. Honda changed their plans and decided to only supply engines to other teams. So, Jos was again without a Formula One seat.

2000–2001: Back with Arrows

Verstappen testing for the Arrows team at the Monza circuit in 2000.

In 2000, Jos returned to the Arrows team. The car was fast but often broke down. In his second race back, in Brazil, he was running sixth but spun off. In the wet and dry 2000 Canadian Grand Prix, he drove very well to finish fifth, scoring points. He scored points again with a strong fourth place at Monza.

Arrows kept Jos for 2001. The car was more reliable that year. A highlight was running second at Sepang after starting 18th. He made a great start and drove well in tricky conditions. He later scored the team's only point of the year by finishing sixth in Austria.

He was supposed to drive for Arrows in 2002 again. But at the last minute, he was replaced by another driver.

2003: Last Season with Minardi

Verstappen driving for Minardi at the 2003 British Grand Prix

Jos returned to Formula One in 2003 with the Minardi team. This team had very little money and less powerful engines. It was a tough season with few chances to show his skill. His best result was ninth place in Canada, just missing out on a point. At the end of the year, he left Minardi because he didn't want to race at the back of the grid anymore.

Jos Verstappen competed in 107 Grand Prix races. He achieved two podium finishes, meaning he finished in the top three twice. He scored a total of 17 championship points. This makes him the second-best Dutch driver in Formula One history, only behind his son, Max. His best qualifying position was sixth in the 1994 Belgian Grand Prix.

A1 Grand Prix Racing

Verstappen driving for A1 Team Netherlands at the A1 Grand Prix in Durban, 2006

After two years away from racing, Jos Verstappen joined the A1 Grand Prix series in 2005. He drove for the A1 Team Netherlands. He won a main race in South Africa during the 2005–06 season.

In September 2006, Jos left A1 Team Netherlands. This was because he had not been paid for the previous season until just before the new one started.

Le Mans Series Racing

Verstappen driving for Van Merksteijn Motorsport at the 2008 1000km of Silverstone, where he won the LMP2 class.

In December 2007, Jos announced he would race in the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans race. He also entered the 1,000-kilometer races in the Le Mans Series. He drove a LMP2-class Porsche RS Spyder for Van Merksteijn Motorsport.

Jos won the LMP2 class at the 2008 24 Hours of Le Mans. This is a very famous endurance race. He also won several other races in the Le Mans Series. With these wins, Jos Verstappen won the LMP2 Drivers' title. His team, Van Merksteijn Motorsport, won the LMP2 Manufacturers' title.

Verstappen also raced in the 2009 24 Hours of Le Mans with a Lola-Aston Martin car.

Family Life

Verstappen in 2014

Jos Verstappen can speak Dutch, English, and German.

In 1996, Jos married Sophie Kumpen, who was also a kart racing champion. They had two children, Max (born 1997) and Victoria (born 1999). Jos also has a second daughter, Blue Jaye (born 2014), with his second wife. He has a second son, Jason Jaxx (born 2019), and a third daughter, Mila Faye (born 2020), with his third wife. Both Max and Victoria have become racing drivers. Max is now a four-time Formula One World Drivers' Champion.

Starting in 2002, Jos coached and managed his son Max in kart racing from a very young age. He helped Max throughout his journey to become a Formula One champion.

Images for kids

• 

  Verstappen at the 2005–06 A1 Grand Prix of Nations, South Africa

• 

  Verstappen driving the Benetton B194 at the 1994 British Grand Prix.

• 

  Verstappen's 1998 Stewart SF02, which he drove for the Stewart Grand Prix team

• 

  A Honda RA099 which Verstappen test drove.

• 

  Verstappen testing for the Arrows team at the Monza circuit in 2000.

• 

  Verstappen driving for Minardi at the 2003 British Grand Prix

• 

  Verstappen driving for A1 Team Netherlands at the A1 Grand Prix in Durban, 2006

• 

  Verstappen driving for Van Merksteijn Motorsport at the 2008 1000km of Silverstone, in which he and teammate Peter van Merksteijn Sr. won the LMP2 class.

• 

  Verstappen in 2014

Racing Records

Jos Verstappen has competed in many different racing series. Here are some of his career highlights:

Career Summary

^† Verstappen was the test driver for the Honda F1 project that was later stopped.

Complete German Formula Three Results

(Races in bold mean pole position) (Races in italics mean fastest lap)

Complete Formula One Results

(Races in bold mean pole position) (Races in italics mean fastest lap)

^† Did not finish, but was counted as he completed more than 90% of the race.

Complete A1 Grand Prix Results

(Races in bold mean pole position) (Races in italics mean fastest lap)

Complete Le Mans Series Results

(Races in bold mean pole position; races in italics mean fastest lap)

24 Hours of Le Mans Results

Year	Team	Co-Drivers	Car	Class	Laps	Pos.	Class Pos.
2008	Van Merksteijn Motorsport	Peter van Merksteijn Sr. Jeroen Bleekemolen	Porsche RS Spyder Evo	LMP2	354	10th	1st
2009	Aston Martin Racing	Anthony Davidson Darren Turner	Lola-Aston Martin B09/60	LMP1	342	13th	11th

See also

• Formula One drivers from the Netherlands