Current Max Verstappen

2015 sees the arrival of the youngest driver ever to sit in an F1 car. Max Verstappen was born on 30th September 1997 and, assuming he makes the grid in Australia, will only be 17 years and 167 days, beating Jaime Alguersuaris' record by 1 year and 323 days (assuming my maths is correct).

How can such a young man be ready for F1? As the son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen Max started racing karts at 4½ years old. In 2006 he won the Belgian Minimax Championship in the KF5 category and in 2007 he won both the Dutch and Belgian titles as well as the Belgian Cadet Championship.

In 2009 he won the KF5 Flemish Championship and moved up to International Karting. In 2010 Max finished 2nd in the KF3 World Cup, won the Euro Series and the WSK World Series. In 2011 he again won the WSK World Series and moved up the KF2 class winning the WSK Master Series and the South Garda Winter Cup in 2012. In 2013, at 15 years of age, Verstappen won the World KZ Championship, which is highest level of karting.

For 2014 Max moved up to European Formula 3. He finished 3rd in the Championship winning 10 of the 33 races, more than those who finished above him in the title race. Max was recruited into the Red Bull Young Driver Programme in August 2014 and only 6 days later was announced as one of the drivers for Toro Rosso in F1 for 2015. Apparently he was also being courted by Mercedes for their young driver programme so you have to wonder how much the pull of an F1 seat at Toro Rosso drove the decision to go with Red Bull.

Having already taken part in 3 Friday sessions as a test driver Max Verstappen is the youngest person ever to take part in a Grand Prix weekend. If he acquits himself well during 2015 many will say it is an inspired decision. If he turns into a mobile chicane or treats F1 like a destruction derby I'm sure many questions will be asked as to why someone not even old enough to qualify for a driving licence in his home country is allowed to get behind the wheel of a car at the pinnacle of motorsport.

Future Champion? One season (or even one race) wonder? 2015 will be very interesting for Max Verstappen.

 

[teabagyokel]

Titch - Almost certainly, I would have thought.

 

[MartijnK]

Is there some history between Villneuve and Verstappen senior ?

Not that I know of, but when I googled "Jos Verstappen Villeneuve" I stumbled across an article on a Dutch website from december 2014 where Villeneuve is burned to the ground because of comments he made about Max.
The writer says "The canadian collided like a madman with Ralf Schumacher, and crashed. Because of this a marshall later died of injuries sustained during the crash."
It's a really crappy article to be honest. Jacques Villeneuve blijft moddergooien naar Verstappen: "Het is een belediging" | RaceXpress

Maybe Max googled the same as I did and found the same article.

 

[Kewee]

Is there some history between Villneuve and Verstappen senior ?

I believe there is Titch, I'll try to get more information. It's normal for any parent to have some input into their son or daughters social skills, I'm sure Verstappen senior will be very involved in his sons career, especially his communication skills when dealing with the media and other competitors. I'm sure Jos Verstappen has had plenty of advice for Max regarding Villeneuve. The whole clash was unnecessary, Villeneuve was just an ex F1 driver offering his opinion on Verstappens driving, plenty of other ex and current drivers have done the same without all the fuss, which is why I believe Jos Verstappen had plenty of input in this.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think it's slightly insulting to Max to suggest it's all his dads doing. The boy has his own mind as we've seen.

The truth of it is that Villenurve is always taking shots at somebody and eventually someone was bound to take one back at him.

I think you might be imagining dark forces Kewee

 

[Kewee]

RasputinLives ..... Not my intention to insult Max Verstappen Ras, my only point was parents normally have an influence on their sons and daughters upbringing and their thinking generally, I know my father did and I assume the Verstappens would be no different.
Something you may be able to help me with, why is Villeneuve so disliked as a person and driver, I've never been able to figure it out? To me he's no different to any other ex champion except when he makes a comment regarding other drivers and the sport generally, he is seen to be taking a shot at someone, whereas other drivers don't get the same criticism.
I've always liked him, yes he calls it as he sees it, I don't have a problem with that kind of honesty. He has a fine record as a driver, runner up in his first season in F1, World Champion in his second season, those two stats are a match with Lewis Hamilton. Prior to this of course he was IRL Champion and an Indy 500 winner, about the only award missing from his trophy cabinet is a win at Le Mans and even there he's had a 2nd. If he can get the right drive he may yet achieve a win there also. I'm not trying to pick a fight Ras, It's a genuine question on something I don't understand.

 

[RasputinLives]

I can't speak for everyone obviously but Villeneurve comes across as very bitter. He seems to imply that all his failings were down to other people and some mass conspiracy against him.

More importantly he never has anything positive to say about the sport or about any driver or team. He only shouts off to the media to stir the pot.

That's how it increasingly seems to me anyway. Maybe I'm the only one.

 

[FB]

I think many got tired of Jacques as he followed to money to BAR when it was clear it was going to be the next big thing Craig Pollock promised and then his drop down the teams still proclaiming himself to be the best driver but doing little to prove it. That said, he's a World Champion and few have achieved that.

Him and Niki Lauda are the F1 equivalent of Katie Hopkins. Perhaps a little harsh...

 

[Kewee]

RasputinLives
FB

Thanks for your response regarding Villeneuve. Many of us over here thought he was just another driver that Williams dropped after their Championship year, as was often the case at Williams. Regarding Craig Pollock our understanding was as he had lost his drive at Williams and due to their friendship they decided to work together as BAR moving away from the main recognised teams. I guess our assumptions were off the mark. Regardless though I still believe he has a fine record as a driver on both sides of the Atlantic. I try to judge a driver by their on track performance which is why I've always liked him and tend to forgive him for speaking his mind. It's worth noting though that his recent criticisms of F1 are a repeat of Hamilton's, Button's and Alonso's views, the difference of course is as he's no longer directly involved in F1 he doesn't have to be as guarded in what he says.

 

[RasputinLives]

That's fair enough but if you can find me something positive he's said about F1 or anything in F1 in the last 5 years I'd eat my hat.

 

[cider_and_toast]

Don't eat your hat! You'll waste a good hat. If you can find anything he's said positive about F1 in the last 5 years, say you'll listen to his album. That's punishment enough and you get to keep your hat.

For what it's worth, I think Villeneuve's first few years in F1 are underrated thanks to his last 5 or 6 years. Yes he was in a very good car but he made the most of it. Few drivers have had a better debut / debut season.

 

[MartijnK]

That's fair enough but if you can find me something positive he's said about F1 or anything in F1 in the last 5 years I'd eat my hat.

Canada's 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve said Verstappen had made the most of the opportunity presented by dominant Mercedes drivers Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton crashing into each other.

"That's what champions do," he added.

"You have to seize the opportunity when it's there and then he drove with amazing maturity. He's really stepped up."

Asked whether Verstappen reminded him of seven-times champion Michael Schumacher, Jos's old team mate and Villeneuve's title rival, the Canadian shrugged.

"You always want to say OK, that's the new [Ayrton] Senna. That's the new Michael. He's Verstappen.

"He's won a race, so let's see how it goes to his head. Will it make him slower or faster. The way he's been acting, it should make him only better."

F1 hails teen GP winner

 

[RasputinLives]

*munch* OK *munch* but between mouthfuls of hat I'd like to say I still think Villenurve is an internet troll.

 

[Greenlantern101]

Regulation 16.1 also known as the 'Verstappen rule'

 

[MartijnK]

Good to see they changed the rules.

Have to admit I wasn't that impressed with him last weekend.

 

[oli_f1_best_sport]

And now Vettel is a victim of this rule change... those two will never be friends xD

 

[RasputinLives]

Lauda: "Verstappen's Arrogance Ruins his Talents."

I chuckled at Lauda not understanding a driver having arrogance. He was so full of humility during his career.

 

[Olivier]

I think Verstappen gets to be arrogant as long as being arrogant doesn't get in the way of getting the results he's after. In this particular case he didn't as he got a penalty and in a way he gifted his podium place to Vettel whom in turn gifted it to Riccardo. Unless Verstappen ulterior motive was to secure Daniel's 3rd place in the WDC. In which case he's a genius and gets to be arrogant.

 

[Greenlantern101]

I think Max just became F1's hottest property.

 

[FB]

Ferrari should have signed him up at the end of last season but they are too conservative. Great drive today, showed the sort wet weather skill Senna used to have.

 

[Galahad]

Bah, let's see if he can do that when everyone else is on the same age of tyre.