And I'm sorry I left, but it was for the best... though it never felt right.

Max Verstappen, The Guardian 2018 | Mitch Albom | x | Sophie Kumpen, The Red Bulletin Heroes Edition 2022 | Sue Zhao | Miami Grand Prix 2022 © Mario Renzi | RaceFans Paddock Diary Dutch Grand Prix 2022 | Max Verstappen, The Times 2023 | Julia Jacklin, Less Of A Stranger | Belgian Grand Prix 2022 © Peter van Egmond | Peter van Egmond, Formule1.nl 2022 | x | Sophie Kumpen, Anatomy Of A Champion 2023 | Adele, My Little Love | Sampha, Kora Sings | Sophie Kumpen, Anatomy Of A Champion 2023 | Sophie Kumpen, The Red Bulletin Heroes Edition 2022 | Mitski, Class Of 2013 | © Margaret Wise Brown | Henry Miller | © obsob Tumblr

“Only now are we starting to realize it: my son is F1 world champion,” she said. “I screamed and cried.”

“I can’t count all the candles I lit this week,” Sophie revealed.

“The angels helped us,” the overjoyed mother believed.

a mothers love is never done

(x / photo by vladimir rys / max verstappen: whatever it takes / sophiekumpen on instagram / x / x / to my son by alicia daly)

I’m the one who understands you

Part 4.5 of the Max Verstappen x bestfriend!reader social media au

A/N: Another collection of things that didn’t fit in the next part. I am trying to stick with a pre-planned plot (ish) so these little ret-con bits will probably stay separate unless they are relevant to the present.

@somanyfandomsbruh

Max Verstappen & Sophie Kumpen - 'Mother's Child'

conor oberst - you are your mother's child / camp cope - i've got you / gp fans / conor oberst - you are your mother's child / essentially sports / a.r. rehman - lukka chuppi / the times uk / lucy dacus - my mother and i / bruce springsteen - the wish / conor oberst - you are your mother's child / the times uk / camp cope - i've got you / conor oberst - you are your mother's child / prachi desai - thank you letter / the sports rush / tupac - dear mama / essentially sports / camp cope - i've got you / a.r. rehman - lukka chuppi / kacey musgraves - my mother / taylor swift - the best day / conor oberst - you are your mother's child

F1 Web Weaves

Christian and Sophie, we see you - 👀

Nice photo choice, we love supportive in-laws 🤭

"It’s a fantastic feeling, to be three time World Champion is incredible. It's brilliant for the team, my family and my friends too. From day one my family have contributed so much of their lives to make me the person I am today. Luckily, I got to FaceTime my mum after the race, she was already on the champagne! It’s beautiful because my mum understands, she is a racer too."

F1 Grand Prix of Qatar October 07, 2023 Photo by Mario Renzi

📷: Peter van Egmond, 2001 Formule1 magazine

sophiekumpen via IG story: "me and my kids 🤍"

On the Saturday in the Ardennes, photographer Peter van Egmond received a very friendly look from Max Verstappen but soon understood how and why. That the warm look was not meant for him.

This year I followed the qualification at Spa-Francorchamps in the pitlane. Max Verstappen often stands leaning against the workbench chatting with his engineer. For a change, I wanted to try a different composition, with his helmet in the foreground, his engineers in the background and the focus on his face. And then suddenly he was looking very kindly in my direction, just not straight into the lens. He started smiling, his gaze was very warm and when I looked over my shoulder, I understood why. I never get these looks from him! So his mother Sophie was standing behind me and wanted to wish Max good luck. I took the photo at the moment of their eye contact, it couldn’t have been more perfect.

to my father / to my future son, by ocean vuong

They say home is where the heart is

Part 6.5 of the Max Verstappen x bestfriend!reader social media au

A/N: There may be another one of these in between bits before we get any Zandvoort plot, it’s partially dependent on the real life content. So, look out for a part 6.9 ;)

As always, the love and comments are infinitely appreciated <3

Tag list

@somanyfandomsbruh @eugene-emt-roe @reidsworld @lazybot @maxiel-jpg @sassyheroneckgiant @ietss

Love that both Sophie and Kelly liked this! 😂🥰

I mean, where’s the lie? 😭

I ask if he feels he got his racing brain from his father, whose “Vercrashen” racing style is well documented, or his mother, Sophie Kumpen, who was successful in karting in the days when that was extremely rare for a woman. “They were very different,” he says. “My dad was more aggressive; you could tell it from how he was sitting in the go-kart and the way he was driving. My mum was more on the clean side. That has to do a bit with how much strength you have. I spoke to my mum about it and sometimes she was struggling a bit for strength; she was small compared to the guys. Then you can’t force the go-kart, you have to find another way.” He has watched footage of her and talks about it with pride. “It’s really nice to see,” he says. “She was racing against a lot of guys who ended in F1.” One of the rivals she would beat was Christian Horner, who is now his boss at Red Bull. “That is quite funny,” he says. “I’ve spoken about that with him; he realised that my mum was faster than him.” Of his parents, he says he got more of his mother’s personality. “My sister is more like my dad and I am more like my mum, more calm. My sister is more of a strong character, fired up.” Of their driving styles, though, he says: “I was probably in the middle of the two. I am still aggressive but probably a bit cleaner [than my father].” He tends not to talk F1 and business with his mother but, “when we joke,” he says, “she might say, ‘Maybe your style is more like me.’ ”

Max Verstappen: I’ve already achieved everything in Formula One via The Times UK

maxverstappen1: Happy Birthday to my lovely mother 🫶🥳

📷: Peter van Egmond, 2001

Formule1 magazine