Baku, September 23, 2025 – The Formula 1 world witnessed one of the most emotional victories of the season yesterday, as Max Verstappen triumphed on the challenging Baku street circuit. The Dutch champion, who has already secured his fourth consecutive title this year, revealed an intimate detail after the race that made it a personal highlight: an unexpected radio message from his mother, Sophie Kumpen. “Hold on, boy,” her short but powerful message suddenly sounded in his helmet, just as the pressure became unbearable. This fateful moment, as Verstappen himself called it, gave him the mental boost to shake off the competition and snatch victory. The Dutch media, often focused on his technical superiority, were surprised by this human touch in a season full of technical battles.
The Azerbaijan Grand Prix was a thriller from the outset. Verstappen started from pole position after a chaotic qualifying session filled with red flags and downpours, but the race itself promised a tactical chess match. With McLaren driver Oscar Piastri leading the championship – 69 points ahead of Verstappen – there was added pressure in the air. Red Bull had experienced a slump in recent races, with internal tensions and a car that didn’t always cooperate on the bumpy streets of Baku. Verstappen, who took 19 wins from 23 races in 2024, was fighting for his relevance this year in a field dominated by McLaren and Ferrari.
Disaster struck for Piastri on the opening lap: a crash at the first corner, caused by a collision with Lando Norris, put the Australian out of the race. Verstappen, driving in clear air, was able to immediately pull away. But the tension built. Around lap 20, during a safety car period following an incident between Carlos Sainz and George Russell, the Dutchman felt the walls closing in on him. “I could hear my heart pounding louder than the engine,” he admitted later in the press conference. The tires were wearing unevenly, the wind was whipping through the tight chicanes, and in his mirrors lurked Russell, who was driving a brilliant strategy to climb up to second place.
It was at that critical moment that Gianpiero Lambiase, his race engineer, better known as ‘GP,’ made a decision that would go down in history. In a rare gesture of emotional support, the team radioed Sophie Kumpen. The Belgian former karter, who herself enjoyed a glittering career, including victories in the 1995 World Karting Championship, had retreated from the spotlight but followed her son’s every race with an eagle eye. “She always calls after practice,” Verstappen said with a grin. “But this… this was unexpected.” Her voice, calm and confident, cut through the chaos: “Hold on, son. You’re stronger than this.” Just four words, but they landed like an anchor in the storm.
Verstappen reacted immediately. “Mom? Really?” came a surprised voice over the airwaves, followed by a rare laugh. The team, normally strict hierarchical, had prepared this intervention as a last resort. Lambiase: “We knew Max sometimes gets too carried away. Sophie is his rock.” The driver, born into a family of racers – father Jos a former F1 driver, mother a karting queen – found the strength in that message to regroup. He activated the push-to-pass and dove into the pits for fresh medium tires, a gamble that paid off. At the restart, he shook off Russell with a masterful out-braking in sector 2, the infamous ‘Castle’ section where tires and nerves often fail.
The final 20 laps were pure thrills. Verstappen built a 10-second lead, while Sainz in P3 fought for Williams’ first podium since 2021. Norris, recovered from his own chaos, climbed to seventh, but couldn’t undo Piastri’s crash. Verstappen finished with a grand slam – pole, fastest lap, and victory – his 67th in total. “This feels fantastic,” he said post-race, his eyes sparkling. “Not just because of the car, but because of that moment with Mom. It reminds me why I do this.”
The Dutch media, which often portrays Verstappen as an untouchable machine, were overwhelmed. Newspapers like De Telegraaf and AD ran headlines reading, “Mom’s magic words: how Sophie saved Verstappen in Baku.” Journalists, accustomed to stories about aerodynamics and pit stop strategies, now dug into the family ties. Sophie Kumpen, who led a more discreet life after her karting career, later shared a one-sided message on Instagram: “Proud.” Her cousin Anthony Kumpen, NASCAR champion, responded: “Family wins races.” Even Verstappen’s grandmother, visibly moved at the podium ceremony, stole the show with tears in her eyes during the Wilhelmus (Dutch national anthem).
This victory creates a bridge in the World Championship: Verstappen has gained 25 points on Piastri, and with seven races remaining, a comeback is looming. Red Bull, which has struggled with upgrades this season, seems reborn. “The last two races were good, but Baku was special,” reflected team principal Christian Horner, who knew Sophie from her karting days. “Max drives not only with talent, but with heart.”
Yet Verstappen remains level-headed. “There’s always pressure, but family makes it bearable.” His bond with Sophie, forged in the karting sheds of Belgium, remains a constant. She taught him smooth steering and consistent lines—traits that took him from karting to F1. In a sport full of egos and data, this incident serves as a reminder: victories aren’t just achieved on the asphalt.
The Azerbaijan GP, with its mix of speed and demolition, thus 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 was still chatting about that radio moment, Max was already preparing for Singapore. Because in F1, the pressure never ends – but with Mom’s words in his ear, he’s ready for more.
