#max lore

[thissying]

"A wunderkind," said Niki Lauda when Limburger Max Verstappen (18) won his first Grand Prix in Spain on Sunday. Her wunderkind, thought Sophie Kumpen (41), at home in Maaseik in front of the television. Two hours later the phone rang: "Wow. Mom. Actually unbelievable, huh."

21 May, 2016

Sophie was at home on Sunday when it happened. All alone, on a chair, in front of the television. "I've been in the pit box at enough races to know: I actually prefer to watch in the living room. You can't see it better anywhere else than on television. I have a fixed ritual for it. A candle on the table. Smartphone in hand. And that chair." (points to one of the dining room chairs)

"Of course, if I had known in advance that Max would win his first Grand Prix, I would have gone along. During those last two corners I was sitting in my chair cheering. When Max crossed the finish line, I cried. I didn't even cry at his birth. They were tears of relief, I think. He was finally able to show what I always knew he could do."

What role does genetics play? So far unclear. But this much is certain: if Max drove the competition away on Sunday - and was also a bit lucky with two top drivers dropping out - it was mainly a matter of years of training. "Max has been working towards this for fourteen years. He was four when he started karting. Jos and I practically lived on the circuit at that time. People sometimes think that we pushed Max. That's not true. It came from him. Once that happened, there was no stopping him. And honestly? I understand that. It was the same for me. That kick. That adrenaline. That quickly becomes addictive."

Sophie once lived in the same world as Max does today. She was successful in karting, and Jos had made it in F1. The couple lived in Monaco and bathed in wealth. But the divorce, in 2006, turned that life upside down. Max was eight, his sister Victoria six. It was decided: Max would stay with Jos, Victoria with Sophie. And while Jos focused on his son's career, Sophie looked for a job in Maaseik.

"A very difficult time," says Sophie. "I didn't see Max a lot then. He quickly started to achieve international success and he was abroad a lot with his father. I found that incredibly difficult. But I also knew: if we really wanted to pursue Max's big dream, he would be better off with Jos. I had to flip a switch for that. There were many nights when I lay in bed crying. Out of sadness, for the child I missed so much. I really had to let go of Max. I was often very afraid that I would lose him. Now that he is eighteen, I have the feeling that all that is changing. He visits me more often, shows up unexpectedly at the door more often. 'Mum, let's go shopping in Hasselt.' Max recently had to get his driver's license. He had to drive for a few days with a supervisor. He said: 'I want to do that with you, mum.' I am increasingly getting my place as a mum back. That feels really good."

"The contact with Jos is finally better again, too. Everything has fallen into place: Jos has remarried and I am also doing well. When Max won on Sunday, Jos called me from Barcelona. However, we hardly ever call each other. But at a moment like that you know: this is our child. And then it is nice to be able to share that emotion with each other and to be able to cry together. I am glad we had that phone call. It felt good to be able to do that. For Max as well."

"After the divorce, I started working for the OCMW [social welfare centre]. I believe that things in life happen for a reason. I see a lot of poverty. I see the underclass of society. I think it's good that I can show Max that. We talk about it. I want him to know that there is another world than his. That's good to keep his feet on the ground. As a mother, I'm sometimes afraid that he'll start to float. I think it's my job to prevent that. I often say: 'Max, don't get too big for your boots, boy. Be nice to people, be nice to the fans. If there are twenty fans, don't sign five, but twenty autographs.' Max knows that, how important that is. And he does that with a smile. Deep down he is very down to earth. Max is a very down-to-earth guy, actually. He now has a Swedish girlfriend - someone who also races. When those two visit: it is really very relaxed. Something to eat, a game of cards, a chat. Max really likes 'normal'. He recently got a sponsorship contract with Puma. He said: 'Mum, then I'll get a new pair of shoes!' I thought that was nice of him. That he could be as happy as a child with a new pair of shoes."

It's been a madhouse since Sunday. Both in Monaco and in Maaseik. "Even I've been overwhelmed all week. I've received 1,500 Facebook requests. The phone didn't stop ringing. Journalists called from America. It really can stop now. Just because Max has won once, doesn't mean he'll keep winning. We all have to stay level-headed about that. Things have been going really well for Max for a year and a half now. There will be a dip at some point. We better prepare for that. I always impress that on Max. 'Think carefully and enjoy it, because it could all be over tomorrow.' He then says: 'Yes, mum, I know.'"

It can never end more suddenly than with a crash. Last year Max came close to that. It happened in Monaco. His car: straight into the tire barrier. Sophie was watching. "I remember thinking: please, get out of that car. And he did get out of that car - unharmed. Maybe that won't happen one day. Or he will be seriously injured. From the moment your child puts on a helmet, you know that it can go wrong. Look at Jules Bianchi, last year. That crash was so hard that he was brain dead. They had to pull the plug. We talk about that. What if something like that ever happens to Max? At least we'll know that it happened while he was doing what he loved to do."

"When I light candles, that is why. So that everything goes well. But you do take into account that it could be different every time. I find the start especially difficult. After two or three laps that improves. When they're all driving behind each other. Should I tell Max that he's not allowed to race? That wouldn't be fair. I've done circuits myself. So who am I to stop my son? Fortunately I know: Formula 1 has become increasingly safer in recent years. Less and less can go wrong."

Sophie - an interior designer by education - was 21 when she said goodbye to top-level sport. "Jos and I saw each other so little that I chose my marriage . Now I sometimes think: 'What if?' When I chose Jos, I said 'no' to a top offer from Formula Opel Lotus. What if I had said 'yes'? I was good at the time. Although I also know: then I wouldn't have had Max and Victoria. The dream that I had to put aside myself, Max is now realizing in my place. That feels good. The sacrifices were not in vain. Because sacrifices: we all made them. Victoria too. Our whole life has been about Max. Sometimes I feel bad for Victoria. I can feel quite guilty about that. It must not have always been easy for Victoria to stand in the shadow of her brother. My daughter works in haircare now. Two weeks ago she put highlights on me. She is one of the best in her class. I am incredibly proud of her - just as proud as I am of Max. But sometimes it gnaws at me: Victoria was very good at karting as a child. What if Jos had invested as much in her as in Max? She could have gone very far, because I think she is better than me. I would have thought it was fantastic. If a woman does well in motorsport, that is still more impressive than when a man does it. Only, it turned out differently. And now that she is sixteen, it doesn't have to be that way for her anymore. She is happy the way she is. People often ask her why she is not like her brother. But then I think: let her be herself."

"Especially now that Max is getting older, he realizes those things. He knows that his sister sacrificed everything for him. They get along very well. Max will always take care of Victoria - a mother senses those things. They once made an appointment, laughing. Victoria had wanted a Louis Vuitton handbag for a long time. 'But I won't get one from mom,' she had told Max. And so Max said: 'When I score my first points in F1, you'll get one.' The day Max scored those points, he took Victoria into Düsseldorf. They bought the bag together. Victoria has been lugging her Vuitton everywhere ever since. That makes Max happy, I can see that. The bag has emotional value for him too: it symbolizes those first points."

She: employee at the OCMW. Her son: 'rising star' in Monaco. "Does Max earn a lot of money? A lot, yes. But he has a manager, who helps him manage that. That's good. Max recently missed his plane. He immediately booked a new ticket. I, with my salary, wouldn't be able to do that. But I'm glad he can, and still manages to be careful with his money. On Mother's Day, he suddenly showed up at the door. He had a surprise. He knew I was looking for a new small car. He took me to the dealership that day and bought me a car. He said: 'Mum, for everything you've done for me.' I can see him doing that for his sister someday. She recently wanted to see him drive in Bahrain. Then he said: 'Your ticket is ready, sister.' It's nice that he does that. He doesn't have to. But it's his way of giving something back." On Thursday, Max was on Belgian soil for 24 hours: the moment when Sophie could finally hold him. "I asked: Max, you're coming, aren't you? He said: 'Of course, mom. Will you cook me something nice?' I made carpaccio, a salad and some pasta. And for dessert: his guilty pleasure. Top sports always means dieting, but what is one Kinder chocolate? There are always some in the cupboard for him."

Next week Max faces his next challenge: the Monaco Grand Prix. Sophie is going to watch and is bringing a few family members along - motorsport is in the Kumpens' blood, Sophie is the niece of racer Anthony Kumpen. "Max sets the bar high. He crashed in Monaco last year. There was criticism about that. 'Wasn't he too young?' He thinks he has something to prove now. And I know: he doesn't necessarily need his mother for that. But I do enjoy being there for him."

"And. Uh. It gives me the chance to also go and see his apartment. I decorated it at the time. Going to have a look. Whether that young man of eighteen hasn't made a mess of it." (laughs)

[33max]

my favourite max lore part 2 (link to part 1)

- max weighed 3265g (7.1lb) when he was born, which means he was actually a perfectly normal sized baby despite turning into a spherical chonk a few months later

- one of max’s gamer tags is crgboy007 and he was ranked 21st in the world on FIFA Ultimate Team in January 2019, and 31st in the world in August 2018. basically - when he sets his mind to something he will become one of the best in the world.

- not really my favourite but I feel I must set the record straight!!! he passed out in malaysia 2016, and despite the fact RedBull claim otherwise, yes he did and here is the very sexy evidence 😔

- max once provided the ultimate discord burn to a driver called bradley philpot who had bashed him regularly on twitter

- speaking of discord, when team redline disconnected from the 24hrs Le Mans he went on another rant and encouraged sim racers to DELETE THE GAME 😂 let’s go baby you tell em’ (he’s right and he should say it)

- he follows some very interesting instagrams accounts including pigsareawsm, capybara.lover_life, drunkbetch, barked (dog memes), thetinderblog and many more!!!

- max promised his sister, victoria, that he would buy her a handbag when he scored his first f1 points… apparently this was the first thing he thought about when he crossed the finish line in malaysia 2015

(I’m 99% sure she confirmed it was a lv speedy 25 ?? someone help me source that!!!)

- max’s favourite cheeses are gouda, halloumi, and mozzarella… he likes young cheeses 🧀

- max recently paid €4.99 to have a sleepy cat on his discord pfp

[tyrannosaurus-maxy]

Not Nate Saunders saying eye contact with Max has him literally losing his train of thought, such that he has to look around the room to remember what he was asking

Matt Elisofon: Although his eye contact when we did interview him once was the most intense thing I've ever experienced in my life, you know?

Nate Saunders: Yeah.

Matt: I don't know if you've experienced that.

Brian Muller: He did look into the depths of my soul and said, "So what are we doing today? What are you doing with my time this afternoon?"

Nate: Yeah, and honestly, Max is like that. And sometimes if you're in one of our roundtable sessions with him, sometimes you can start asking a question and Max can look at you like so intently. You can almost- You lose kind of the train of your question. You're suddenly like, "Ah man!" because you because it just feels like he's glaring at you and he might not be. He's just trying to focus but that's happened to me on number of occasions with Max.

Nate: And I'm just like, "uhhh". You have to kind of, you know, look around the room just to kind of be like, "what was.. what was the question?" Like, "What am I what am I saying here? And why is Max looking at me like that now? What have I said?" like, "Have I said something wrong?" So yeah, he's like that.

Source: The Red Flags Podcast | Talking F1 2024 Testing with ESPN's Nate Saunders! | 33mins in

[echovoidedangel]

So, I know I saw someone else start the project of collecting Ross lore (@tea-dragonz) however I'm not entirely sure if they plan on continuing it or not (since its been over a year-). But I may or may not start the documentation of all Ross lore as well as whatever lore we have for the other Bois.

Max Lore will be easy to compile since that's only one video [to my knowledge]

From what I've gathered Jerry & Pooki only have 1-2 Lore bits about them [Note; I haven't seen everything of Max's since my fixation does flip-flop around to where one minute I'm watching his stuff then the next I'm coming up with misc. concepts-]

And Ross Lore is gonna be the most deep-diving out of all of them since it could come from any video after it's first mention. Any video could reference Ross Lore. And the more challenging part is gonna be telling what is and isn't considered Ross Lore.

But I at least want to compile what I can sit through. I'll either make a Document or keep it in my notes app until it's good.

[hasanawolf]

Does Max have sort of "traditional cure" to use when he has a cold? By "traditional cure" I mean a meal that is used to palliate the symptoms of cold, for example, chicken soup or boiled potatoes that were used for inhalations before (in my country, at least). Anything that can a little heal you and be eaten at this moment or later.

His ma would always give him a spoonful of honey with lime juice and finely chopped garlic when his throat was hurting, so he uses that instead of a cough syrup. He also drinks a strongly prepared peppermint tea with honey. Chicken soup also helps uwu

[maxcuntstappen]

were they karaoking together? /// P seems to have something between her legs that looks like another mic so I think they were karaoking or at least the kids were

kinda wanna jump off a ship but i would have to find a ship for that so for now i am just going to clench my jaw super hard and try to fight the cuteness aggression taking over me.

ty anon for this insight, i absolutely did not notice the other mic.

imagining penelope and luka singing together as max cheers on. 10/10 sight, would recommend.

[max-the-mouse]

one time in my pife i had a present mic piss kink as a url on my present mic sideblog as a joke but then i started getting followers bc my url was funny

and then thats where i ended up in a gc with other cursed url mha blogs and yeah its still up somehwere but i got locked out so i can never truly be present mic piss kink sadly

[thissying]

interview with Richard Pex about Max's go-karting days Formule1 magazine, The Year of Max 2024

"At some point I knew Jos and Sophie from the go-kart track in Genk. I was there, riding with my two eldest sons. But with Stan who was four years old then, too. At some point Sophie came up to me together with Max and said: 'Max wants me to ask you how old Stan is.' I said four and then Max said: 'See. I'm five already and I still have to wait until I'm six.' Jos wanted him to wait until he was six but I asked Max: 'Would you like to drive?' Sophie didn't really want that but we did it anyway."

A few innocent laps with great consequences, Richard realises more than twenty years later. "A couple of days later Jos called me. 'Yes, thank you very much', he said. 'Now I have to buy Max a kart.' That's how it started. We agreed then to go karting together more often. Sparring and training. I raced too but I couldn't keep up with Jos. 'Well, you have a better engine', I said to him. 'Okay', Jos said then, 'then I'll fix this engine for you before the Dutch Championship in Amsterdam.' I went like a rocket during practices but at some point I thought: is that Jos over there? He'd been curious about how things were going and had come to Amsterdam for that. 'Can I spend the night in the trailer? Because I'd like to see the race tomorrow', he asked. Typical Jos: pure passion. We clicked and that's how our friendship started."

Verstappen's go-kart team was run by Frans [ed. Max's grandpa]. Because Jos was still active in F1 and couldn't be there for everything. On top of that, Frans and Jos were busy with the boys that drove for the team and sometimes that was at the expense of Max. "In Genk the mini's were allowed on track for fifteen minutes of every hour. Then Max came over and said: 'Daddy, I want to drive too.' At some point Jos was done with it. He said: 'This isn't right. I'm constantly busy with others and then when my son comes and asks me to drive, I don't have time. You know what I'm going to do? I will quit the team. From now on I'm only going to focus on Max. He really wants it, wants to drive so badly. Do you want to do this together with me?'"

Richard didn't need to think about it for long. "My sons were driving as well, so that sounded good to me. 'Okay, then we'll buy a van and we'll do it together', Jos said then. From that moment on we were together almost day and night, at the go-kart track or the business in Maasbracht. There, in that factory hall, we set up a workshop and from there we started working. I think I've been at all Max's go-kart races. It was an incredible time. Very hard work but wonderful. Jos was busy every day, from morning until night. Max went to school, (laughing) sometimes not, but after that he was always there. To tinker or drive. Often they were eighteen hour days because I still had my own company as well. But we had a lot of succes. Jorrit became world champion [ed. in 2006] in Portimão. Jos was his mechanic. Max was there, Stan, our wives. I still get goosebumps now. Especially that look from Max to Jorrit in that moment. You could see the passion in Max's eyes, the will to achieve the same. I can still see Jos caressing his little head, telling him: 'Your time will come.' Unforgettable." That Max had the talent and gift to go far in the racing world became clear very quickly. But everything that happened behind the scenes and what was needed to facilitate young Max optimally is rather underexposed. Richard was there from day one and got sucked in. "The brakes were off with Jos. Everything had to move out of the way for the higher goal. Jos always said: 'Max just has to perform, then everything else will follow.' He made it as difficult as possible for Max; he raised the bar a little every time. Jos felt Max should race with older boys. He had the luck he could often spar with Jorrit, who is five years older. What Max didn't know, was that sometimes Jos added lead to his go-kart and wasn't satisfied until he was as fast as everyone else. Every Wednesday afternoon we went to Genk. I picked up Jorrit and then we took the van to Maaseik to pick up Max from school. He was always the first one to run onto the playground to get in, rain or shine. I think we must have been in Genk 48 Wednesdays out of the 52. Going on holiday was another thing. We always took the van because we'd go on holiday near go-kart tracks. The deal was: one day at the beach and the other day the boys were allowed to kart. That quickly turned into karting every day. Often at unknown tracks and then Jos would say: 'Lap 8 will be pole-position time. Not lap 25 because then you boys will know the track already', That's how it went."

Max was fast right away, showed his famed ruthlessness already at a young age and could match the absolute top of the world in karting. That didn't happen without a fight. The competition watched with disbelief which lead to plenty of speculation that cheating was involved. Jealousy reared its head but not with the person that should have been bothered the most: Jorrit Pex. "Jos and I also often watched in disbelief at how fast Max was. Jos would then compare Max's data to Jorrit's and point out the mistakes he made. Max would often get into a discussion, did not hide away and would then talk to Jorrit. Recently, in an interview, he said: 'I learned a lot from Jorrit.' I liked that." Jealousy wasn't an issue because Jorrit is so different from Max, character-wise. "Jorrit also said: 'give Max the best material. He must become world champion.' That's what he was like. Jorrit didn't have any issues with that. He wanted that for Max. I also noticed Jorrit was more of a homebody. He enjoys going away but mostly he really enjoys being home a lot. Because he'd already said he wanted to run the company with [brother] Yard, the choice was clear. There never was any envy. Not from me either. I was there for everything, been through it all and it was fantastic."

That Max had just that little bit extra, Richard and Jos discovered empirically. "Jorrit and Max were sparring with equal karts. Engines that ran equally fast, same weight, no difference whatsoever. And yet, on the straight Max went just that bit faster every time. If you didn't know better, you'd think: he's got a better engine. Even I started having doubts and Jos too wanted to know now. 'You know what?' Jos said, 'We're going to exchanges the engines.' Nothing changed. Max was a tad faster again. It meant that Max came out of the corner with more speed and therefore was at top-speed more quickly. How he does it, I don't know either. That's pure talent. You can still see it with him now, in Formula1 as well. Max had a good engine but not a better one than the competition. It was purely Max. He had and still has that little bit extra. Tire management, technique of taking corners, attack, defend - Max mastered it down to the last detail. He had good equipment but he did not become European and world champion because he had the best material."

The straightforwardness of the Verstappens is not appreciated all around. In F1, with all its egos, disagreement is never far away. Conflicts lurk in a world where the competition is razor-sharp. Jos was (is) extremely black and white. Max will occasionally accept a shade of grey but only if he's being utterly convinced he's wrong. How did Richard Pex manage to never let those powder kegs explode? The Limburger laughs. "I read or hear stories that make me go: how do they come up with that? Yes, Jos was tough but I've never seen Jos box Max's ear. And I was there for everything. Me and Jos click. We're true friends, through thick and thin. We've been through all the ups and downs and talked about everything. We slept in the van together, were together 24/7 most of the time. Of course I wondered sometimes: how will we manage this? Jos wasn't the easiest person but we always talked things through and turned out okay. And we're both proud of that. We've got, I think, rather the same character: honest, straightforward. We didn't always agree but that was also to up the pressure. I'd say: 'Jos what you're working on now, won't work.' 'Oh yeah?' he say then, and start working like a madman to prove the opposite.

[…]

Max mediated to have Richard and his best friend Stan as a guest in Abu Dhabi in 2021 for the heroic grand finale of the battle between Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen. "Now I have to be careful otherwise I'll become very emotional. Nothing will ever be more beautiful than that. That I got to be there for that… Pfff. Max said before that: 'You and Stan are coming with us to Abu Dhabi.' Yeah, that's something you'll never forget. Together in the car on the way to the track. Talking about go-karting and the past. On the day of the race Max said: 'Richard, this is the big day. I'm going for it fully. It's going to be difficult but you never know. And then it happens. That last lap, I knew: now he's going to get it. Afterwards tears flow. "I saw everything again. Max on that crate, Jos kneeling before him. The look between those two. I saw those icy cold little hands again, the tears in his eyes when Jos had sent him back on track in the rain and cold in Genk again. Unfortunately we don't see Max a lot any more, but that will change again. I'm certain he still thinks the karting days were the best time of his life and not the present. When the helmet is on, he's the driver but he doesn't give a damn about the whole circus around it in F1."

[…]

Richard Pex has been there for all of it. Nobody that - except for dad Jos of course - knows Max Verstappen better than this Limburger. "Even in karting I already said: it's Max who makes the difference and when he gets to F1 and he's got equal equipment, it will be: start, away and done. That's how it was and still is."

[swoodthis]

It’s Max Month! I’m having my golden birthday this year, I turn 27 on the 27th!

[swoodthis]

I went apeshit and got obsessed with ancient Egypt at the age of four and it all spiraled out of control from there

[echovoidedangel]

I've got all Max lore from Mithzan Lore Hide-n-seek.

Just gonna say, what the hell is Lore!Max's problem with spitting at/on people.

[hasanawolf]

Does Max hate Afton considering how he’s engaged to Mia and he doesn’t treat her well?

Yeaaah he does :’) He treats him with respect tho, or more like, he’s still polite towards him when they are obligated to interact. But you can see the pent up anger in his face 😂

[swoodthis]

Two of my bosses at the pharmacy are friends with me in Pokémon Go.

Hey I have good news for everyone.

Cringe culture literally does not exist outside of the internet.

I take my Minecraft backpack to college and I get tons of compliments on it. My boss’s son plays Minecraft and he’s elated to have a “resident Minecraft expert.”

Lots of things that fall under “cringe” are very dear to me and my friends. Good people recognize and celebrate that passion, no matter what it’s for.

[thissying]

"This picture was taken in January 2005 at the karting track in Genk. I think this was a defining moment. Max is 7 years old here and karting on a wet track. Jos decided that Max had to discover there that you shouldn't drive the ideal racing line when the track is wet. Because that's where the rubber is and so it's slippery. You have to drive beside it to find grip. The three of us stood on the ideal line, so Max had to drive around us. When we stood there, Max immediately understood: ha, I've got grip. He found it immediately at other points as well. You could already tell then: this boy has so much talent, knows where to drive right away. But anyway, during a lap I saw Max taking the kerbs and one wheel lifting. I just couldn't photograph it very well. At the end of the afternoon, I asked him if he wanted to take the kerbs once more so I could take a picture of him on two wheels. The execution was perfect but Max didn't have enough space to make the turn after that. Consequence: he crashed hard into the ropes behind me. I think he probably still remembers this picture, haha! That's where Max learned to drive in the rain. After that fantastic overtaking race in Brazil (2016), I thought of this afternoon in Genk. I ran into Jos and we fell into each other's arms, we referred to that afternoon. Ahead of that race in Brazil you could already tell Max was occupied with it. At the drivers parade all the drivers were in the back of the trailer. Except for Max and Nico Hülkenberg: they were in front, looking at where the water flowed on the track. But the basis of that podium in Brazil was in Genk where Max learned to drive the rainlines." - photographer Frits van Eldik

Formule1 magazine 2021/2022

[icybomblvr]

LEWIS' MOVIE ABT RIVALS IN ONE TEAM IS BEING RELEASED ON NICO'S 40TH BIRTHDAY.

WHICH COULD MEAN NOTHING.

[hasanawolf]

It's not a qurstion actually, I just remembered something about your AU's lore😁

Well, you mentioned Izaack had a crush on his school friend, and at first I used to think that Max was his crush, but if I got it right, they're just BFFs😊 (and well, maybe they helped each other to come out)

(I know I've been spamming you with questions for last days😅 and it may look creepy, so... worry if it bothers you😔)

Oh! Yeah no, two different people cx The friend he fell in love with was from high school, and Max and him where friends when they were 10-11 years old :3 As adults they do consider each other attractive, but their feelings for each other are merely platonic, Izaack thinks of him as his little brother, and Max sees him as his older brother too 🫶🏻

(And nooo it does bother me at all!! On the contrary, it makes me happy to see people interested in my AU and wanting to know more ;v; ❤️)