A father might be a little harsh on their kids, but a mom’s heart will always show love and protect their kid no matter what. The same was the case with Max Verstappen when his dad left him at a gas station following an argument after a karting race. It was his mother, Sophie Kumpen, who drove all the way to get her stranded son from the Gas Station. As we celebrate Mother’s Day, Max Verstappen drops a heartfelt message despite his hilarious remark at the Miami GP.

While Max Verstappen has been very vocal about the contributions of Jos Verstappen in making him the world champion that he is, and teaching him all about racing that he knows, his mother also played a significant part in his life. We all know Jos Verstappen was hard on his son because he knew what it took to become a world champion, but the Dutchman had his mom to comfort her. And not only that, Verstappen gets half his racing genes from his mother, who was also a great racer in her time, but unfortunately never made it to the top.

And yet, Max Verstappen made a hilarious remark about her mother at the Miami GP. Lando Norris was being questioned about whether he could’ve won the race had the safety car not interfered. The Brit started to question his first win, but then Verstappen stepped in, almost to defend Lando Norris, and suggested that racing is always about what ifs, and added, “If my mom had balls, she would be my dad”.

And now, just days after these comments, Max Verstappen uploads a wholesome photo on his Instagram with a special message for all the mothers. The picture in question was taken at the 2023 Dutchman GP, where all of Max Verstappen’s family was present to celebrate the win with him. In the picture, Verstappen’s mother Sophie Kumpen, Grandmother Marianne, sister Victoria Jane Verstappen, who’s a mother of two, Aunty Gerda, and of course his girlfriend and Penelope’s mother Kelly Piquet are celebrating the win with Verstappen. The caption read, “Happy Mother’s Day to all the mothers.”

And while Verstappen doesn’t often speak about his mother, the former F1 Team Owner suggests that Max Verstappen does hail Sophie Kumpen as a racer, as much as he does her for being a brilliant mother.

Max Verstappen will become the “Greatest Driver” thanks to his parents

Sophie Kumpen started racing at the age of 11 years and raced alongside the likes of Giancarlo Fisichella, Nick Heidfeld, and Jenson Button. Max Verstappen and Christian Horner discussed how Verstappen’s mother was great at karting, but wasn’t able to reach her full potential because she got married. Even Eddie Jordan advised of Kumpen’s speed and suggested she along with Jos Verstappen is a key reason why their son is such a fast driver.

Eddie Jordan said, “If you have such great talent in karting (Sophie) and a father who was an F1 driver, then you have someone who is naturally as fast as Max. I truly believe that he will ultimately become the greatest driver ever if he stays safe and healthy for a long time. We have spoken to and seen Max enough times to realize that he values his mother’s performance, her speed, and her way of doing business. He would say that he draws inspiration from both (parents). She was a great talent in go-karting.”