Verstappen all smiles over father Jos' rally win

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Max Verstappen lauded his father Jos for his winning return to active motorsport duty last weekend in a national rally event in Belgium.

The former F1 driver, who started 106 Grands prix during his career, took a keen interest in rallying last year when he entered several events in Belgium including a round of the World Rally Championship in Ypres last August.

Verstappen Sr, running onboard a Skoda Fabia RS Rally2 car, completed the Monteberg Rally's eleven stages with the exact same overall time as rival Davy Vanneste.

In such a case, the rules call for the result for the first stage – won by Jos and co-driver Renaud Jamoul – to decide the result.

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"This does me tremendous good," said the 51-year-old motorsport veteran. "It was a difficult period for me because I couldn't drive for a few months.

"For me to come back this way, I'm super satisfied with that. When it started to rain during the day, it was treacherously slippery, but then I was able to take back time. I'm very happy with my first rally win."

Seeing his father emerge victorious undoubtedly evoked a sense of joy and pride for Max who conquered on the same day in Miami his 38th career win in F1.

"I'm happy for him," said Verstappen. "He definitely spends a lot of time on it.

"It's nice when things pay off, when you put all that effort in and yet for him, of course, it's kind of a hobby, but he takes it very seriously.

"I got pictures and videos and to see that smile on his face.

"You never lose that kind of competitiveness and happiness if you do well, right, if you get rewarded for your efforts, so yeah, very happy to see him there, get the trophy."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.