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.

 

[RasputinLives]

I think people need to remember that the pole position chop is not a move solely attribute to Vettel. We've certainly seen it done by Hamilton, Alonso, Schumacher and most other pole position sitters through the ages. It's just that this time it caused an accident.

The incident was Vettels fault it's true but I have no doubt in my mind that if the situation was reversed that Verstappen would have chopped too. The different element to this incident was the flying start from Kimi. 99% of the time another car would not have been there.

 

[F1Brits_90]

very true. i can imagine most wouldve chopped but i thought Vettel was going to think of the championship pre race & live to fight another day. abit like Lewis did when he slipped into 2nd. as him panicking trying rescue a poor start has cost not only him the world championship but his team the constructors championship

 

[sobriety]

It's not as if Vettel hasn't got form for swerving into other drivers this season

He does seem to suffer brain fade sometimes when it all gets a bit tight.

I've said for years that his start line chop, being one of the more aggressive ones would come back to bite him one day.

 

[The Artist.....]

Vettel's move at the start wasn't a swerve... this is a swerve!

 

[RasputinLives]

Ha! I was thinking of old Nige in Portugal too when people were talking about swerving.

 

[Bill Boddy]

The fact is, that is a standard Vettel move.... that showed a serious lack of judgement.

He knew that it was wet, he knew that Verstappen makes very good starts and yet still tried a dodgy manoeuvre. It worked in the days of the hot warm blown tyres when he knew that he would have superior braking and corner speed due to being the only driver with tyres up to temperature (with the exception of Webber) but when they both had cold tyres in the rain it bordered on being stupid.

 

[Rutherford]

The fact is, that is a standard Vettel move. If Max thought he would forgo that just because it was HIM trying to pass, it showed a serious lack of judgement.

He was inbetween the Ferraris and if you watch the replay again, you'll see that Raikkonen also moves into the direction of Verstappen. He had no way out, unless he would have had a slower start, but which F1 driver wants to get a crawling start of the line?

 

[The Pits]

The squeeze is performed by many on many. As the driver squeezing you need to be prepared for the squeezee to not cede. As the squeezee you need to understand that if you dont cede you could be en route to destination fucked.

I can remember several instances of both through the years.

Caveat constrictor

 

[teabagyokel]

The Artist..... - I'll bet Ron Dennis thought all his winter solstice festivity souvenir exchanges had arrived simultaneously.

 

[Il_leone]

Every time Vettel tries to wall squeeze the guy on the inside - he 's always come out worst. I've known at least 3 races now

Max Verstappen is a guy that really irritates Vettel for some reason and you just felt with the short run into the first corner that might happen.

Max this time did pick his words right about Seb taking unnecessary risks if he is thinking about the championship

 

[Kewee]

Your right siffert_fan, it is a standard Vettel move though that doesn't make it right or a good example of a top F1 driver. As far as Max showing a serious lack of judgement I would suggest the lack of judgement was Vettel's. He must know Max has every right to challenge for the first corner and wouldn't back off, why should he. Vettel had so much more to loose yet he still got overly aggressive, made a risky move and highly likely cost himself a chance of taking the title. Despite Ferrari's rantings Vettel knows the mistake was his, listen to his apologies.

 

[Road of Bones]

*lose

"Loose"- not fixed
"Loosing"- unleashing
"Loosening"- making less fixed

"Lose"- fail to win
"Losing"- failing to win

Please - can everyone take note? It's really not that difficult, and stops me from biting through my iPad in grammar rage.

Thank you.

 

[RasputinLives]

"Loser" - someone who gets grammar rage


teabagyokel - believe it or not Mansell still won that race!

 

[TR]

Or is that a "looser"?

 

[Kewee]

Road of Bones ..... Point taken though it would be nice to have allowances made. I'm now a tired old man suffering from Parkinson's disease, typing in a different time zone when I would often rather be sleeping. I have far greater issues to deal with than a slip up on grammar. As well as Parkinson's I've also been hit with Prostate cancer and Spinal arthritis, all three diagnosed in one year. My failing health is why I'm no longer as active on the site, though I do still like the contact with people on the other side of the world who share my love of F1. I do look for positives. The cancer is not expected to be terminal which is a plus but the Parkinson's will almost certainly destroy my life during the next ten years or so. Grammar is not such a big issue is it.

 

[Road of Bones]

RasputinLives , TR - I feel you are treating my concerns with insufficient gravity!

Kewee - very sorry to hear about your health problems. It wasn't a personal dig at you, as it's an infuriatingly common spelling mistake that I see all over the place. I meant no offence - you should know by now that I have a certain skewed view of things, and a rather warped sense of humour...

 

[Kewee]

Sorry Road of Bones, I had no right to unload all that on you. You struck me at one of my down times, I get them every now and then until I dig a little deeper and find a positive or two.

 

[Andyoak]

I find digging gets me lower; maybe it's different on the opposite side of the world.

Does digging get you higher down under?

Am I.taking this too literally?

... and Kewee, my father in law has had Parkinson's for 15 years and it's still managed; but don't start juggling the doses for that energy rush; it'll mess with your mind.

I'm sure you're making the best of it. Now just focus on your grammar to take your mind off your problems

 

[Bill Boddy]

I'm very sorry to read about your problems Kewee. I'm sure that you know what the "like" meant; my best friend also has prostate cancer which is said to be likely to be cured due to advances in the past few years. There is also a lot going on with Parkinson's, I just hope that it is in time for you to have successful treatment.

 

[RasputinLives]

Kewee like all the others have said I'm very sorry to hear about your health problems. If there is anything I can do (like laying off Alonso maybe ) then let me know.

Always enjoyed reading you even if we have a ding dong or two.