Pit Stop | Teenager Max Verstappen set to take F1 by storm
He may only be 17 when he takes the grid but the Toro Rosso driver has proved himself at F3 level
They say if you're good, you're old enough. Max Verstappen must be good, because the Dutchman is 16 and has just been named as a Toro Rosso driver for next year. Admittedly he will be 17 by then, but even at that grand old age he won't be allowed a normal driving licence in his home country for another year.
He might not be allowed to take a Dutch driving test, but he will be assured of the super licence he needs for Formula One because he has all the credentials already. He's been racing in Formula Three this season and he didn't take long to fit in, winning six races in a row at one point.
Admittedly, he's had less than 40 single-seater races, but that will not be a barrier. After all, Kimi Raikkonen had half that when he made his debut, and that didn't turn out too badly.
Like Raikkonen, he has the same calm temperament that is essential at the top level. His boss in F3, Frits van Amersfoort, said: "I've never seen a kid that age who is so calm and so relaxed".
Verstappen is certainly relaxed about the move, feeling the step from karting to F3 was more difficult than the move he's now making. He said it is "more dangerous to bike through a big city than race in an F1 car".
On the safety front, he should perhaps pause to think about his old man's more hairy moments in F1. Jos Verstappen, you may recall, was engulfed in flames during a pit stop in his Benetton years but managed to emerge unscathed.
This is another reason why you'd back Verstappen junior to succeed at the highest level. He has the experience of his dad to guide him. He contested 106 grands prix in a nine-year career at the top level. It's always a help when you have someone so experienced, with the contacts he brings, in your corner.
