Max Verstappen is currently competing in his 11th F1 season, having made his debut at the age of just 17 during the 2015 campaign for Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls). Since 18 is the minimum age required for drivers to be eligible to compete in F1, many may wonder how the Dutchman was able to make his debut at 17.
This is because F1 only increased the age limit to 18 in 2016, a year after Verstappen made his debut. So, the Dutchman will always hold the record of being the youngest-ever driver to compete in the sport until and unless the FIA changes their rules again.
Since Verstappen was so young when he made his debut, Red Bull faced immense criticism for it. Despite that, Red Bull’s top brass backed the Dutchman and are now reaping the rewards for showcasing faith in him. Verstappen is today a four-time world champion and has played a crucial role in helping Red Bull win two titles in 2022 and 2023.
FLASHBACK: BELGIUM 2015
Not bad for a 17-year-old, @Max33Verstappen #BelgianGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/mrTHeoqKce
— Formula 1 (@F1) August 26, 2018
One of the key individuals who mentored Verstappen back then was former Toro Rosso team principal Franz Tost. The Austrian revealed on the Inside Line F1 podcast how much criticism he faced for giving a 17-year-old an F1 seat.
“Everybody criticized us. Other journalists came to me and said, “You are totally stupid. He is just 17 years old. He even doesn’t have a driver license and he is racing with the best drivers in Formula 1”, Tost recalled. Red Bull decided to give Verstappen a race seat with their sister team after they first noticed his talents during a practice session at the 2014 Japanese GP.
Although Verstappen was lucky to make his F1 debut at the age of just 17, Mercedes’ Andrea Kimi Antonelli also could have made his debut at the same age as the FIA bent their rules last season and agreed to offer the Italian a super license when he was just 17.
The FIA justified their decision by issuing a statement, where they explained how they will make exceptions for drivers who they judge “to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition“.
Their decision obviously faced immense criticism as they had increased the minimum age limit for drivers to get a super license to 18 less than a decade ago.
