© Steve Etherington for Mercedes-Benz Grand Prix Ltd.
Max Verstappen’s mother Sophie Kumpen acknowledges that Lewis Hamilton was the better man on the track at the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix.
Max Verstappen’s mother Sophie Kumpen was not present in Abu Dhabi to witness her son becoming the 2021 Formula 1 champion, but he watched the whole race from home.
In an interview with Dutch outlet AD, she says she “screamed and howled, cried too” after her son unexpectedly became the champion.
“Max fought like a lion, unyielding and without even thinking about giving up,” she added.
Lewis Hamilton dominated the race from the start until FIA race director Michael Masi broke the Safety Car rules and protocols near the end of the race, which in turn created a situation where Verstappen was able to easily pick up the win and the world title on the final lap. The whole situation is still a subject of possible legal action from Mercedes.
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Although Kumpen is overjoyed that things went in her son’s favour, she acknowledged Lewis was the better man on the track.
“Let’s face it, Hamilton was stronger today,” she continued.
“It didn’t look too good until the end, but then my daughter texted me – ‘Safety car! Call on the angels’. And behold, they helped me.
“I can’t count all the candles I lit this week.”
Ultimately she says her son managed to remain true to himself until the very end.
“It’s unbelievable how calm he remained throughout the season, while the tension was constantly cut.
“And how he always remained ‘just Max’,” concluded Kumpen.
