Red Bull Advisor Hilariously Agrees To Big Role With Max Verstappen's First Child

Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Helmut Marko (left) and Red Bull Racing Limited driver Max Verstappen (right) of Team Netherlands celebrate winning the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images
Oct 23, 2022; Austin, Texas, USA; Helmut Marko (left) and Red Bull Racing Limited driver Max Verstappen (right) of Team Netherlands celebrate winning the U.S. Grand Prix F1 race at Circuit of the Americas. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images / Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Jos Verstappen, former F1 driver and father of Max Verstappen, shared his excitement over the news that Max and his partner Kelly Piquet are expecting their first child together.

Jos revealed that this will be his fourth grandchild and said that Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko lightheartedly acknowledged his new role as the child's great-grandfather.

Weeks after Max won his fourth world championship title in Las Vegas, he and Kelly made the happy announcement ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix finale last year.

Expecting a new family member in a few months, Jos said he has three grandchildren and was looking forward to the arrival of Max's child. He also spoke on the timing of the event, noting that Max is becoming a father at a similar age to when he welcomed his first child. He told F1-Insider:

"First of all: I am going to be a grandfather for the fourth time. My daughter Victoria already has three children. 

"I am really happy, of course, and hope that everything will go well. It's a good fit. I was 26 when I became a father for the first time with him, he is now 27. There are certain parallels."

Marko has been known to be a close friend of the Verstappen family. Despite being 81 years old, he plays an active role in shortlisting exceptional junior drivers for Red Bull, like Max, who then climb the ranks to race in the premier class. When asked if Marko had made a claim, Jos laughingly said:

"He has accepted the idea of ​​becoming a "great-grandfather" with goodwill.

"We talked about it at length at the last race in Abu Dhabi. But there has been no talk of a Red Bull future. First we have to see whether it will be a boy or a girl."

Jos has held the reputation of being a strict father, especially when it came to Max's involvement in racing. A story had earlier spread that Jos once abandoned Max at a service station because he made an error in a kart race. Clearing the air, the rally driver explained:

"I think it's time to clear up that story. The truth is: I didn't leave him there. I just didn't speak to him for a week. Was that too harsh? Not according to Max. He felt that my attitude had prepared him better for Formula 1.

"That's why dealing with Helmut Marko, who is also known as an extremely tough guy, didn't bother him anymore. He also appreciates the fact that we kept training with the kart on dry tires on a wet track. I only sense gratitude from him when it comes to his childhood with me."

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