How Did Red Bull Starboy Max Verstappen Make It to F1?

When was the last time a Formula One rookie had a season that was both thrilling and memorable? Fans of a certain generation may recall when the greats first got behind the wheel. Ayrton Senna, Michael Schumacher, Fernando Alonso, Kimi Raikkonen, Lewis Hamilton, and Sebastian Vettel have all had their debuts in the past 35 years or so. They all, to varying degrees, had outstanding rookie seasons that distinguished them as unique. After just one season, they were the drivers we could clearly identify as “potential world champions.” And When everyone believed Lewis Hamilton was the last true superstar, a young man from the Netherlands by the name of Max Verstappen stepped out to challenge his unparalleled legacy.

Max Verstappen, the son of a former F1 driver, Jos Verstappen, and former karting star, Sophie Kumpen, got exposed to the world of motorsport at a young age. When Max first competed in the Minimax competition, he was just four years old. Over the next few years, he gained a wealth of expertise in wheel-to-wheel battles. He was prepared to transition to more difficult battlefields by 2006. He triumphed in the Belgian Rotax Max Minimax category on his debut, and the following year, he repeated the achievement in his own nation.

What was the next big step for the Dutchman?

After defeating Charles Leclerc by three seconds to win the KZ1 World Championship in 2013, 15-year-old Verstappen’s next logical step was unquestionably the Formula Renault 2.0. In the Jerez test, Verstappen performed admirably in comparison to the normal Formula Renault competitors, and in a subsequent excursion at Valencia, he defeated several more well-known drivers.

This, together with Verstappen’s performance in a Formula Three vehicle at the conclusion of 2013, encouraged him to strive higher than Formula Renault. He would compete in the 2014 FIA European Formula Three Championship.

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Verstappen has occasionally run afoul of his peers and employers due to his hard-nosed defense and no-holds-barred attitude. However, the blunders that at first diminished his potential have given way to maturity, while the confidence and vigor that made him a superstar talent have persisted. And, surely, the triumphs have kept coming.

The most awaited entry into the world of Formula 1

In 2014, a young Dutch kid named Max Verstappen made his Formula 1 debut behind the wheel. Little did we realize that we were observing the beginning of something extraordinary. Toro Rosso revealed the signing of a new driver. Additionally, fans and F1 experts were shocked that a 16-year-old was given a chance in the premier division of single-seater racing. The decision was questioned by several who believed the squad would suffer greatly due to inexperience. However, everyone realized Helmut Marko had once again struck gold.

Verstappen took off on his maiden flying lap in the F1 season. The Dutchman wasn’t even old enough to drive a road car at the age of 17. After racing for them in 2015, Verstappen vacated his Toro Rosso seat after just four races in 2016 and was promoted to drive for Red Bull Racing with Daniel Ricciardo. He beat the odds in his very first race with the team, winning his first-ever race in Spain despite constant pressure from world champion Kimi Räikkönen, who was in second.

However, Verstappen didn’t stop there. Verstappen finished fifth overall in the 2016 World Championship and cemented his status as the sport’s most promising young driver with six additional podium finishes, including what may have been the season’s best performance in Brazil during a downpour. The golden boy, who debuted for Red Bull in Barcelona in 2016 at the age of 18 years and 228 days, became F1’s youngest race winner. He was also the sport’s youngest points scored.

A key lesson from Max Verstappen himself

The breakthrough year came in 2021 when the Dutchman went up against Lewis Hamilton and became the Champion with the narrowest of margins. Then the season of 2022 came, when Max Verstappen was found at the pinnacle of his dominance. He broke the previous record of 13 victories held by German greats Sebastian Vettel and Michael Schumacher, with 15 victories. Aside from that, he also broke the record for the most points scored in a season with 454 points.

Despite a drastic regulation change in F1 that made most other teams suffer, Verstappen emerged as a deserving winner. The Dutch Lion was able to adjust and overcome the difficulties that were put before him. The Red Bull driver revealed a key lesson about his adaptability.

As per GPFans, he said, “You can practice it but you also need to understand what you are practicing and I think from a young age, my dad has been working with me a lot to understand changes on the kart at the time. In the beginning, it is what you have to do to try to go faster and how you adapt to that as quickly as possible. And it’s the same if you’re driving in the dry and suddenly it starts raining, you have to adapt really quickly or the other way around. It’s things you learn at a really young age.”

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Verstappen became the first world champion from the Netherlands at the age of just 24. With Verstappen achieving greatness at such a young age, the expectations for the current generation of F1 drivers are extremely high. But what are your thoughts on Verstappen? What is your favorite moment of his career?