Dec.4 (GMM) Jos Verstappen underwent heart surgery during the course of his son’s ultra-dominant performance in the 2023 season.
“It’s annoying that I had to have it, but it’s now resolved,” the 51-year-old former Formula 1 driver told the Dutch magazine Formule 1.
Although now less involved in son Max Verstappen’s day-to-day management, Dutchman Jos still travels to many of the grands prix whilst also racing in lower-tier rally events.
As for his heart problem, Verstappen senior admitted: “Fortunately they were able to find the problem and I now feel fit again.
“It was something that I have had all my life and was never discovered, otherwise it could have helped immediately. But you can live to be a hundred years old with it,” Jos added.
“Any operation on your heart is always exciting, of course, because they can do something wrong and you’re totally dependent on other people,” he said.
“But I also had a neck hernia 20 years ago, which made me even more nervous.”
Jos Verstappen admitted the surgery has given him a new perspective about health.
“It puts things into perspective and makes you appreciate what you have even more,” he said. “I have a nice wife and two small children with whom I want to spend beautiful time with for as long as possible.”
On his 26-year-old new triple world champion son’s meteoric 2023 season, father Jos was asked whether it bothers him that Max often doesn’t get the plaudits he deserves.
“He doesn’t really care about that,” Jos said.
“I think everyone in the paddock and within the entire family knows how well Max does his thing anyway. What people out there think doesn’t really matter.”