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Max Verstappen's dad says Lewis Hamilton and Toto Wolff 'won't like' his 'special' claim

Max Verstappen is now a four-time Formula 1 champion, the first of which came controversially in 2021 after overtaking rival Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix

[Four-time champion Max Verstappen is son of former F1 racer Jos]

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Four-time champion Max Verstappen is son of former F1 racer Jos(Image: HOCH ZWEI/picture-alliance/dpa/AP Images)

Jos Verstappen has named his son Max's first Formula 1 title success as the sweetest, despite the controversy of his victory over Lewis Hamilton.

The result of the 2021 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix remains a highly divisive topic to this day. Hamilton led for the entire race and looked destined to become F1's first eight-time champion, but FIA race director Michael Masi's botched handling of a late safety car opened the door for Verstappen to overtake and win on the final lap.

The Red Bull racer's subsequent title successes have been far less tense. He was wholly dominant in the 2022 and 2023 campaigns and, though Lando Norris pushed him hard last year, the Dutchman still summited the standings by 63 points at the end of the season.

Verstappen achieved that despite having a Red Bull car that was not the class of the field, like its two most recent predecessors. And that, in the eyes of his father Jos, made it Max's most impressive championship win to date.

"He was extremely good in 2023 too," Verstappen Snr told F1 Insider. "But, of course, 2024 was more difficult for him because the car wasn't the best in the field and he therefore always had to drive at the limit without making any mistakes.

"He did that extremely well. He has always given 100 percent, but this year it was more noticeable. People noticed that Max can make the difference compared to others."

But that does not mean that Jos thinks his son's most recent title success was his most impressive. Instead, he pointed at that first championship win in 2021 as the one that stands out - even if the former F1 racer admits Hamilton and Mercedes team principal Toto Wolff are still not happy about how it played out.

[Max Verstappen infamously overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the 2021 season]

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Max Verstappen infamously overtook Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the 2021 season(Image: Formula 1 via Getty Images)

He added: "Every title is special and valuable. The best is always the first - Abu Dhabi 2021 was special. When you win the title on the last lap, you'll never forget it. Toto Wolff and Lewis Hamilton won't like that.

"But I still remember sitting in the pits with my son shortly after the race and we reviewed his career in fast forward. It was an extremely beautiful and emotional moment for both of us.

"As for this year [2024], his race in the pouring rain in Sao Paulo obviously stands out. He had to start from the back in extremely difficult conditions. It was easy to make a mistake, but Max just drove as if the rain hadn't happened. That was special."

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