Sport has always had a fascination with youth. Whether it was 15 year-old Nadia Comaneci bending, flexing and somersaulting her way to a perfect gold in the 1976 Olympics, Theo Walcott earning England’s youngest World Cup football cap at 17 or Jennifer Capriati powering her way to countless tennis accolades having barely turned teen, the bigger the prize at the tenderest of age has the power to capture the imagination, inspire a generation and leave us bemoaning our own menial achievements when at the same age.
But are there different degrees with which we should be most impressed when inexperienced teenagers – or even pre-teens – flourish in a particular discipline? After all, everyone knows more supple youths excel better at gymnastics, football is a team effort and you only have a single other opponent to beat on the tennis court.
What happens when you give a 17 year-old the power of an F1 car, where unforced errors are punished with more than simply slipping off a pommel horse…?
It’s a question that Max Verstappen is preparing to answer ahead of his maiden F1 race at an age where he cannot hold a road car driving licence in any but a handful of countries.
Of course, the conclusive proof will only come when racing gets underway, but it’s been preluded by six months of synonyms around ultimately the same question. However, when I ask him whether he is looking forward to taking the talking to the track, he shrugs off negative assertions to his presence on the grid.
“Basically I don’t care what people write,” he says as a matter of fact. “I don’t read it anyway. I just focus on what I have to do and that’s be quick on the track.”
It’s a curt but mature response, yet one that sums up Max’s approach to this opportunity of a lifetime. Indeed, for someone who has fielded a barrage of controversy about his age, it’s easy to forget that, at the end of the day, it wasn’t Max himself who instigated a move into F1… and, frankly, why should he turn it down?
That said, Max admits he wasn’t naïve to accept the deal straight away, saying he did think twice initially and only relented when he considered it in the context of Red Bull’s reputation for developing precocious talent.
“I couldn’t believe it the first time [I was told] – was it really happening?. It was also really early in the morning after my race in F3, so we came out very late and I woke up and then my Dad said, you know, maybe we have the chance of F1 next year. I was like, ‘Woah-woah—what’s happening, I just woke up! ‘
“It was not an immediate yes,” he continued. “There were some talks and of course you think maybe it is too young, and then they explain and show you what they want to do with me and how to get me prepared. There was no other option but to say yes. I think Red Bull have proven that they can handle young drivers.”
He has a point – Red Bull knows what it is doing. This is a company with a renowned track record of honing young talent and though this is arguably the most extreme ‘junior-to-senior’ project it has undertaken so far, this has still been carefully plotted from conception to reality.
Indeed, Max has benefitted from a lengthy lead-in process of FP1 runs and meticulous off-track training geared towards ensuring his experience belies his age – 17 or not, this driver has had a more specific F1-focused preparation than most on the grid.
“They really believed in me. On the other hand, all the stuff said so far from go-karting to F3, I didn’t really have any problems with going faster in a way. I got an even a better preparation for F1 than I had in F3, so I don’t see the problem there. We decided for F3 very late, and only did one test day before the official tests started. So the preparation wasn’t very good and still I managed to be on the podium on the first week.”
“They also have a lot of physical knowledge in training, camps and that’s what I did in the winter time. So they prepare me in every way very well.
The ‘Max approach’ raises an interesting point: Is six months of specific F1 training for a teenager with one year of racing experience more worthwhile than handing an F1 drive to someone with years of racing experience but barely any F1 reference points?
The FIA has already made its stance abundantly clear with its decision to amend the superlicence rules to ensure racing experience trumps a fast-track approach. Consequently, it means Max stands to hold onto his burgeoning record as the youngest driver to start an F1 race, but while he is assured in his own ability, he is aware of why his presence creates a cause for concern
“I think we’ll have to wait and see,” he say, thinking carefully about his answer. “These rules say Alonso, Ricciardo and Kimi couldn’t go to F1 – a lot of drivers who are big names at the moment.
“I can understand – they don’t want maybe a 6 year-old going into F1! When my Dad started racing in Formulas, you needed a driving licence to start and maybe they want to do something like this again.”
Though every man and his Roscoe have offered their opinion on this debate, fellow drivers – the only people arguably best positioned to offer an informed view – have been fairly divided.
Based on his own experiences, Felipe Massa – who initially stepped up to F1 from the little-known Euro F3000 series -, feels it is too soon for Max, yet Toro Rosso team-mate Carlos Sainz believes his FP1 runs last year actually give Max an edge over other rookies.
The man himself though is more interested in what his father has to say. Indeed, Jos – an F1 veteran of 106 races – has been the driving force behind Max’s short career so far and his influence remains an integral part of his son’s approach.
“I have my Dad and he was really good for me. He knew how to reach F1 and I think that was a good advantage for me.
“My Dad has been a big influence. My Mum (also an experienced racer) was there to support, but not really giving me a lot of advice, but for sure, my Dad does help a lot. When I came in here, when I was announced as an F1 driver, it wasn’t so new for me.”
Admittedly, I wasn’t sure what to expect from Max before I met him, but a good one-to-one chat reveals clarity in Red Bull’s decision to place him in a sink or swim situation. Indeed, his buoyant attitude, coupled to a healthy self-assurance that arguably belies the intimidation of both his job and the added weight of attention that comes with it, suggests he is set for the latter.
Indeed, from where I am sat the premise is seemingly more extraordinary than the practice. His age and ‘inexperience’ may be the headline, but there is clearly substance to this story.
There have been no dramatic accidents (save for a slightly embarrassing demo run mistake), the pace in testing is competitive and there is maturity in the way he handles a car and speaks with the media.
Whether surrounding him with 19 other cars will prove more exposing remains to be seen, but it’s clear Max Verstappen isn’t simply your average driver… regardless of whether he is a teenager or not.
