![]() This meant some of Verstappen’s better performances were denied the results they deserved – notably in China where his car came to a halt on the pit straight with a few laps to go. Potential was clear to see in Verstappen’s 2015 seasonThe Toro Rosso STR10 was an aerodynamically effective chassis hobbled by a weak and unreliable Renault engine. But he quickly dispelled such concerns with a largely mature first season in F1 which included a few eye-catching results. ![]() The speed of Verstappen’s ascent into Formula One prompted the sport’s governing body to introduce a swathe of new rules intended to prevent anyone as young or inexperienced from reaching the top so quickly. Max Verstappen’s F1 career 2015: Toro Rosso By the end of the year he had made three appearances in F1 practice sessions in preparation for his debut at the record-breaking age of 17.Īdvert | Become a RaceFans supporter and go ad-free That roster already included two drivers who were leading their championships – Carlos Sainz Jnr in Formula Renault 3.5 and Alex Lynn in GP3 – plus promising Formula Renault 3.5 rookie Pierre Gasly.īut just six days after Red Bull revealed Verstappen had joined their ranks came the surprise announcement that he would race for their junior team Toro Rosso in 2015, replacing Jean-Eric Vergne. Mercedes were also showing an interest in the young driver, but on August 12th Verstappen was announced as the latest addition to Red Bull’s junior driver programme. Red Bull, however, had seen enough of his potential to make their move. Toro Rosso gave Verstappen his first F1 practice run in 2014Verstappen failed to capitalise when Ocon endured a point-less weekend at the Red Bull Ring, due in part to a controversial penalty following contact with Antonio Fuoco. Ocon pulled over 100 points clear with a hat-trick of his own the following weekend in Moscow. Verstappen’s Lotus-backed rival Esteban Ocon retained a 74-point lead in the drivers’ standings, partly thanks to superior reliability from his car. Soon after he hit a rich vein of form, reeling off six consecutive victories, all scored at Spa-Francorchamps and the Norisring.Ī seventh straight win followed in the prestigious Masters of F3 on home ground at Zandvoort, though it didn’t count towards the championship. Verstappen tested both machines, but following a highly promising run in a German Formula Three Cup car he chose to take the plunge in the most competitive Formula Three championship – the Europe-wide series.ĭriving for the same Van Amersfoort team his father once raced for, the younger Verstappen won in his second F3 weekend. ![]() Those two categories were potential destinations for his 2014 campaign. Unusually, the series did not produce an overall champion, having no ranking system. But Verstappen won twice in a field which included drivers who had raced in Formula Renault 2.0 and Formula Three. He made an inauspicious start when he crashed into Antonio Fuoco in the pits shortly after the first session started. His first stop was the 2014 Florida Winter Series, which comprised a dozen races run over four weeks at the beginning of the year. On the back of one of the most impressive karting campaigns of recent years Verstappen, who turned 16 that September, prepared to move up to slicks-and-wings racing. Verstappen added the KF and KZ European titles as well, lifted the WSK Euro Series KZ1 and WSK Master Series KZ2 crowns, and added the KF2 Winter Cup too. Among them were the CIK-FIA KZ world championship title, won against several highly-rated rivals including former F1 driver Jaime Alguersuari But he came of age the following season, amassing a daunting collection of trophies. In 2012 he continued to compete across a variety of karting categories and enjoyed mixed success. A move up to the international level did little to put him off his stride, as he won the WSK World Series KF3 and the Euro title as well – the latter crown he retained the following year. This began a remarkable unbeaten streak running across three seasons, first in the Belgian ‘mini’ championship for two years, then after moving up to the ‘mini max’ category.įurther titles followed in 2008 including the Belgian Cadet Championship as Verstappen, now 11, began to ascend the karting ladder. The elder Verstappen bowed out of F1 in 2003, and two years later seven-year-old Max scored his first karting victories in Belgium. Find all RaceFans who support Max Verstappen
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