Max Verstappen says he was “prepared” for the waves of criticism about his formula one debut in 2015.<\/p>\n
News that the 16-year-old Dutchman will make history as the sport’s youngest ever race driver for Toro Rosso next year has been controversial.<\/p>\n
Even his predecessor at the second Red Bull team, Daniel Ricciardo, has his doubts.<\/p>\n
“I think Verstappen will answer on the track at the time of his debut and the months after it,” the Australian said as he accepted the Lorenzo Bandini award in Italy.<\/p>\n
“For me, I think a driver in formula one at 17 is too young, but that’s only my personal opinion so it may be different, we’ll see.\u00a0 For me, it’s too young,” the 25-year-old is quoted by Italy’s Omnicorse.<\/p>\n
Verstappen, whose father Jos raced in the 90s and even for Toro Rosso’s former guise Minardi in 2003, gave his critics more fuel at the weekend as he appeared in a F1 car for the street demonstration in Rotterdam.<\/p>\n
The 16-year-old crashed the Toro Rosso-liveried car head-first into the barrier, apparently as he fumbled with the complex controls of a modern F1 machine.<\/p>\n
Earlier, Verstappen said that when he signed the deal with Red Bull, he expected criticism to follow.<\/p>\n
“When you are being announced as the youngest ever formula one driver, you can expect it,” he is quoted by the Dutch website RaceXpress.nl.<\/p>\n
“I had prepared myself for it, and it’s fine that everyone can have their own opinion.<\/p>\n
“Next year we will see how it turns out,” Verstappen added.<\/p>\n
Rotterdam at the weekend was the first time Verstappen’s F1 veteran father Jos had seen his son drive an F1 car, having missed the recent Rockingham shakedown.<\/p>\n
“I felt no tension,” said the former Benetton driver.\u00a0 “When I see how calm he is and how he deals with everything, I just know it will be ok.”<\/p>\n
Verstappen snr said he is not sure what the next steps for Max will be, amid speculation he will appear for Toro Rosso on Friday mornings later this season.<\/p>\n
“I have no clue,” said Jos.\u00a0 “It changes from day to day.<\/p>\n
“What we have decided is that it will be a little easier now in terms of publicity.\u00a0 After this weekend, Max should focus on his racing and his preparations.”<\/p>\n
Max agrees: “I do not know exactly what the programme looks like and whether I will run in practice sessions.<\/p>\n
“Formula one is very different from F3 — the cars have a lot more power, pulling very fast and just continuing to accelerate.\u00a0 I cannot wait to get on a real circuit and go flat out.”<\/p>\n
Finally, F1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone said he sees no issue with Verstappen’s controversial early debut.<\/p>\n
“Why not?” he told Roger Benoit, the veteran correspondent for the Swiss newspaper Blick.<\/p>\n
“If he has the talent, he should try it.\u00a0 I see no reason for an age limit.\u00a0 Maybe I’ll try to make a comeback,” the nearly 84-year-old Ecclestone joked.<\/p>\n
The F1 chief executive also acknowledged that Verstappen’s debut might be good for the sport in terms of opening the eyes of a younger generation of fans.<\/p>\n
“Toto Wolff is always telling me the importance of social networks,” Ecclestone said.\u00a0 “Let’s see.”<\/p>\n
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