Jos Verstappen has developed a new passion for superkarts, but his enthusiasm for the high-speed machines has left his son Max Verstappen and former Formula 1 drivers Giedo van der Garde and Christijan Albers questioning his latest hobby. The former F1 driver and father to Max is already working with Stan Pex, one of his son’s closest friends, to prepare a superkart capable of reaching speeds of around 250 km/h.
The pair are considering competing in the GP Superkarts event at Assen next year after becoming fascinated by the machines, which combine the compact design of a kart with performance that approaches that of a single-seater racing car.
Jos Verstappen discovers the thrill of superkarts
The GP Superkarts event took place at Assen from July 31 to August 2, attracting several familiar names from motorsport. Professional sim racer and former driver Jarno Opmeer attended alongside Allard Kalff, Jan Lammers and Tom Coronel.
Jos Verstappen and Pex could join the field next year after becoming increasingly interested in the discipline.
Speaking to Viaplay, Verstappen made no secret of his excitement.
“This is insane,” he said. “It’s not Formula 1, of course, but it’s a bit like Formula 3. You have an incredible amount of grip. It’s incredibly fast, but super fun to do. This is definitely something I’d do again.”
Superkarts are powered by 250cc two-stroke engines and can accelerate from zero to 100 km/h in less than three seconds. Their top speed is approximately 250 km/h, while their engines can reach around 14,500 rpm.
The speed and performance have clearly captured Verstappen’s imagination, even if the prospect of racing them has raised eyebrows among some of his former colleagues.
Stan Pex helps bring Jos Verstappen’s idea to life
Verstappen explained that social media footage from the Assen event first sparked his interest.
“When that race was here in Assen, you saw all sorts of things passing by on social media,” he recalled. “I texted Stan’s (Pex) father, Richard. I said: Richard, we have to do this, this is fun. He said: No way, this is awesome, going so fast in a kart on a racetrack. After that, Stan started talking about it.”
Pex, a successful karter who finished third at the Karting World Championship, revealed that Verstappen was already enthusiastic before he raised the idea himself.
“I mentioned this to Jos by chance. He said that he had just sent videos to my father that week and that he wanted to do the same. I thought it was something for me and that Jos would like it too, but he was already sold before I asked, so things moved quickly.”
Their plans have also revived memories of Verstappen’s earlier years working on karting projects with Max.
A return to late-night engine development
Verstappen admitted that preparing the superkarts has already become a significant commitment, particularly on the technical side.
“It is certainly different from twenty years ago, when I did it with Max, but it is still a two-stroke engine and we have a test bench at home. Well, the Pex family has it, so I think we will be sitting on the test bench soon.”
He added: “This does remind me of fifteen years ago, continuing until midnight at night. Tinkering, getting our hands dirty, and coming up with new ideas.”
The work is taking place around Maasbracht, where the pair can concentrate on engine development and extracting more performance from the machines.
Viaplay joked that Verstappen had needed to rediscover some of his old technical routines, including using a stopwatch.
“I didn’t remember how it worked. I had to figure that out again,” he laughed.
“It’s super fun and I’ve really enjoyed myself. The fun part is the technology and the speed, with the revs of a two-stroke,” Verstappen continued. “It’s just back to karting.”
Pex is equally enthusiastic, although he acknowledged that the speeds take some getting used to.
“It’s actually the same as karting, but on a much bigger track and at much higher speeds. It really does go fast, especially because you sit so close to the ground. Eventually you get used to it quickly, but it keeps going fast.”
At Assen, superkarts have recorded lap times of approximately 1:37, compared with a fastest MotoGP lap of 1:32.4 during the current season referenced in the original report.
Why Max Verstappen thinks his father’s hobby is crazy
Despite Jos Verstappen’s enthusiasm, not everyone is convinced that superkart racing is a sensible pursuit.
When Viaplay raised the subject of Max’s reaction, Jos was asked about a close friend who considers the activity completely crazy. The remark was understood to refer to his son.
“Just give it a try and come along with us sometime,” Jos advised Max. “I know who you’re referring to. We’ll see what happens after that.”
Pex also tried to put the risks into perspective, pointing out that the pair already participate in rally driving.
“We do rally driving, so I don’t know what’s crazier. Ultimately, you have to use your head and not go too crazy. If everything is locked up, not much can happen.”
Jos has not abandoned the idea of persuading his son to join them, although he recognises that Max has more immediate priorities.
“I’m letting him focus on the coming weeks for a bit. That’s more important right now, but I’m sure he’ll come along at some point, especially after he’s spoken to Stan,” he said, referring to the winter break.
Former F1 drivers Van der Garde and Albers were less enthusiastic about the prospect, describing the superkart enthusiasts as “completely crazy”.
Van der Garde also joked about Verstappen’s technical ambitions, suggesting that Jos would soon build the best engine in the field once again. The pair previously worked together in karting, with Van der Garde becoming world champion in 2002 using engines prepared by Verstappen.
For now, Jos appears happy to concentrate on the engineering challenge and the sheer speed of the machines. Whether Max eventually joins him on track remains to be seen.
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