Max Verstappen's 'dream team-mate' jokes about joining Red Bull as second driver

F1 News & Gossip

Verstappen's 'dream team-mate' jokes about joining Red Bull as second driver

Jos Verstappen admitted that he frequently races against his son

Janice Kusters

Tuesday 29 August 2023 19:57

Jos Verstappen has joked that he could fill in for his son Max's team-mate Sergio Perez at Red Bull, admitting that both he and the Mexican driver are both soundly beaten when they get on the track with the reigning world champion.

During a Viaplay interview, the father of the reigning champ (and experienced former F1 driver in his own right) mentioned that he engages in friendly races with his son whenever they find a moment of free time.

In response to the interviewer's question about the gap between father and son in these casual races, the Dutchman said he usually falls 'one and a half, two seconds' behind his son, with absolutely no chance of catching up.

“You could replace Perez!” the interviewer joked, to Verstappen Sr. replying 'Kinda!'

The comments come off the back of the younger Verstappen recently admitting that his 'dream' team-mate would be his father.

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Diverse racing ventures forge Verstappen's F1 success

That the two-time world champion spends a lot of his time outside of an F1 car on various forms of racing is no secret, as he takes sim racing quite seriously with Team Redline.

In addition, the Verstappen family collectively devotes a substantial portion of their free time to racing different types of vehicles on various race tracks.

Verstappen senior has played a role in every phase of the champion's career

The former Benetton driver admitted that he believes these outings have a positive impact on Verstappen's racecraft, explaining: “I do think it's just good to keep busy, even if you drive a different car, it keeps you on your toes."

"For him it's good," he continued. "Every car reacts differently, every car has a different feeling. And yes, he did tell me that because he drives this, that he did find some new things, and that's just good."