Jos Verstappen once revealed the ‘most difficult’ time he experienced during Max Verstappen’s career

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Max Verstappen can officially put the agonising miss of the 2025 Formula 1 title behind him and focus on the future as a new page is turned in history.

The 2026 F1 regulations will mark some of the biggest changes in decades, with the potential to completely mix the field up.

For now, Verstappen is going to remain loyal to Red Bull, but they are under pressure to deliver a strong engine immediately.

They’ve had plenty of time to prepare, and now is their time to shine and give their drivers yet another drivers’ championship-contending machine.

Niki Lauda knew talent when he saw it. Did Mercedes make a mistake not signing Max Verstappen?

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Verstappen proved he isn’t a robot in 2025, when he slammed into the side of George Russell at the Spanish Grand Prix. In hindsight, it wasn’t what cost him another title at all.

However, Toto Wolff may lose interest in Verstappen, according to Juan Pablo Montoya, if Kimi Antonelli performs well this year. It might not leave the Dutchman with too many options in the future.

READ MORE: Max Verstappen should be worried as Ford is ‘still learning a lot’ where Red Bull need the most help

Jos Verstappen said the ‘most difficult’ period of Max Verstappen’s career was Formula 3

Even though Verstappen loves the idea of finishing his career at Red Bull, there has been a lot of speculation about his future.

But it’s not the most uncertain period that he has ever been through. That would be back in 2014, as his father, Jos, once addressed in an interview with the BBC.

“I’ve put a lot of effort in this whole racing career of Max,” he said. “I had to invest a lot of money, sponsors were difficult to find. For me, the most difficult time was Formula 3. Last year (2014) was tough for me.

“I was nervous. That’s where he needed to impress. That’s where he needed to win the races. I was more nervous there, last year, than I was actually am now, because he’s a Formula 1 [driver] now.”

Just a few years later, Nico Rosberg feared overtaking Verstappen as he made an immediate name for himself at the front of the grid. It’s where he belonged.

Guenther Steiner still thinks that Verstappen could leave an ‘open’ Red Bull, but just because they’re undergoing a bit of a transformation doesn’t guarantee his departure. Performance is what matters most.

READ MORE: Jos Verstappen pinpoints the moment Max Verstappen’s ‘enthusiasm’ returned at Red Bull in 2025

How did Max Verstappen perform during the 2014 Formula 3 season?

Verstappen’s first season in single-seater racing would start on a damp note, with two retirements from his first four races.

He then failed to make the start during his fifth race, before a breakthrough sixth would see him crowned with his first victory.

Strangely, he would then go on to retire from three of his next four entries, before finding a little consistency halfway through the campaign.

He won six consecutive races between Spa and the Norisring, and won a handful more times before the end of the campaign as he wound up finishing third in the standings.

It was enough for Red Bull to take notice and reward him with an immediate promotion to Toro Rosso, a decision I doubt they regret.