Max Verstappen reveals the fateful moment: when his mother Sophie Kumpen suddenly appeared on the radio with a short sentence who gave him the power to overcome the pressure and to achieve an exciting victory during the Azerbaijan GP, to surprise the Dutch media
Baku, September 23, 2025-The Formula 1 world yesterday witnessed one of the most emotional victories of the season, when Max Verstappen triumphed on the challenging street circuit of Baku. The Dutch champion, who already won his fourth title in a row this year, revealed an intimate detail afterwards that made the race a personal highlight: an unexpected radio message from his mother, Sophie Kumpen. “Hold on, boy,” her short but powerful sentence suddenly sounded in his helmet, exactly when the pressure became unbearable. This fateful moment, as Verstappen called it himself, gave him the mental boost to shake off the competition and grab the victory. The Dutch media, often focused on his technical superiority, were surprised by this human touch in a season full of technical battles.
The Grand Prix of Azerbaijan was a thriller from the outset. Verstappen started from pole position after a chaotic qualification full of red flags and shot showers, but the race itself promised a tactical chess match. With McLaren driver Oscar Piastri as World Cup leader-69 points for Verstappen-there was extra pressure in the air. Red Bull had had the last races a dip, with internal tensions and a car that did not always work on the bumpy streets of Baku. Verstappen, which took 19 wins from 23 races in 2024, fought this year for his relevance in a field where McLaren and Ferrari handed out the sheets.
Already in the opening round fate struck for Piastri: a crash on the first corner, caused by a touché with Lando Norris, threw the Australian out of the race. Verstappen, who drove in clean air, could immediately take a distance. But the tension built up. Around LAP 20, during a safety car period after an incident between Carlos Sainz and George Russell, the Dutchman felt the walls coming. “I heard my heart banging harder than the engine,” he later announced in the press conference. The tires slut unevenly, the wind drove through the tight chicanes, and in his mirrors Russell, who drove a brilliant strategy to climb to second place.
It was at that critical moment that Gianpiero Lambiase, his racing engineer better known as ‘GP’, made a decision that would go down in history. In a rare gesture of emotional support, the Sophie Kumpen team patched on the radio. The Belgian ex-carter, who himself had a glorious career with victories in the World Cup karts in 1995, had withdrawn from the spotlight but followed every race of her son with Arendsogen. “She always calls after the training,” Verstappen said grinning. “But this … this was unexpected.” Her voice, calm and full of conviction, average the chaos: “Hold on, boy. You are stronger than this.” Only four words, but they landed like an anchor in the storm.
Verstappen responded immediately. “Mom? Really?” It sounded surprised about the ether, followed by a rare smile. The team, normally strict hierarchical, had prepared this intervention as the last resort. Lambiase: “We knew that Max is sometimes too deep in his head. Sophie is his rock.” The driver, born of a family of Racers-father Jos an ex-F1 driver, mother a kart-queen-found the power to pick up his driving line in that message. He activated the push-to-pass and went into the pits for fresh mediums, a gamble that unpacked. At De Restart he shook Russell with a masterful out-breaking in sector 2, the notorious ‘Castle’ section where ties and nerves often go.
The last 20 laps were pure sensation. Verstappen built a 10 -second lead, while Sainz fought in P3 for William’s first stage since 2021. Norris, recovered from his own chaos, climbed to seventh, but could not undo Piastri’s crash. Verstappen finished with a grand slam – pole, fastest round and victory – his 67th in total. “This feels fantastic,” he said post-race, his eyes shimmering. “Not only through the car, but by that moment with Mom. It reminds me why I do this.”
The Dutch media, who often portray Verstappen as an unapproachable machine, were overwhelmed. Newspapers such as De Telegraaf and AD headed with “Mammic magic words: how Sophie Verstappen saved in Baku.” Journalists, used to stories about aerodynamics and pit stop strategies, are now dug in the family ties. Sophie Kumpen, who led a discreter life after her carving career, later shared a one-sided word on Instagram: “Proud.” Her niece Anthony Kumpen, Nascar champion, responded: “Family wins races.” Even Verstappen’s grandma, visibly moved on the podium ceremony, stole the show with tears in her eyes during the Wilhelmus.
This victory builds a bridge in the World Cup: Verstappen ran into 25 points on Piastri, and with seven races to go, a comeback to go. Red Bull, which was struggling with upgrades this season, seems reborn. “The last two races were good, but Baku was special,” team boss Christian Horner reflected, who himself knew Sophie from Kart days. “Max does not only drive with talent, but with heart.”
Still, Verstappen remains sober. “There is always busy there, but family makes it bearable.” His bond with Sophie, forged in the carts of Belgium, remains a constant. She taught him to steer fluently, keep constant lines – properties that brought him from kart to f1. In a sport full of egos and data, this incident recalls it: victories are not only achieved on the asphalt.
The GP of Azerbaijan, with its mix of speed and demolition work, ended in euphoria. For the Netherlands, where Verstappen is a national hero, it was more than a victory: it was a lesson in resilience. And while the media is talking about that radio moment, Max was already preparing for Singapore. Because in F1 the pressure never stops – but with mom’s words in his ear, he is ready for more.
