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Max Verstappen shares why his family will miss the Abu Dhabi GP, reflecting on his title fight and Jos Verstappen’s rallying in Africa.
Max Verstappen walks through the paddock at the Yas Marina Circuit ahead of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix (Picture credit: AP)
Formula One’s defending world champion, Max Verstappen, has said that his father is rallying in Africa and his mother is at home with her dogs, adding that since he did not see himself as a contender for the title halfway through the season, his family’s trip to Abu Dhabi for the final was not planned.
Verstappen remains in the title hunt after McLaren’s strategy misfired at the Qatar Grand Prix. Lando Norris had led by 25 points after the Lusail sprint, but that advantage shrank to just 12 when he finished P4 in the main race.
Verstappen sealed the 2024 title with his win at the Las Vegas GP, but neither of his parents was present. At the following round in Qatar, however, his mother Sophie Kumpen, sister Victoria and girlfriend Kelly Piquet were all in attendance.
As Verstappen arrived at the Yas Marina paddock for media day on Thursday, he revealed that his family would not be attending the Abu Dhabi GP, even if he goes on to bag his fifth title.
“No, my parents aren’t here. My dad is rallying in Africa and my mum, I guess, it wasn’t planned. I also didn’t plan to be in the title fight until the end, so here we are! I think after Zandvoort, everything was a bit cancelled, I would say,” Verstappen said while speaking to the media.
“My mum is at home, happy with the dogs. You can see a lot on TV anyway,” Verstappen added.
Max’s father, Jos, is a former Formula 1 driver who raced alongside Michael Schumacher and has continued his passion for motorsports in rallying.
After Verstappen confirmed that his family would not be at the Abu Dhabi GP, he was asked whether they had sent him any messages of support ahead of the crucial season finale.
“We aren’t like that. They know when I am sitting in the car, I will give everything I have. I just spoke to them about other stuff. They don’t need to motivate me; it does not really work like that,” Verstappen said.
Click here to add News18 as your preferred news source on Google. December 04, 2025, 23:58 IST
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