Toro Rosso has just signed 16-year-old Max Verstappen for a Formula One drive with the team next year. As a result, Verstappen will become the youngest driver to ever complete in Formula One with him being 17 at his F1 debut.
He will race alongside 20-year-old Daniil Kvyat who is in his maiden season and replace Jean-Eric Vergne at the squad.
The Dutch native is currently in second place in the European Formula Three Championship in what is his maiden year. As a matter of fact, this season is his first after progressing from karting. So far he has claimed eight European Formula Three Championship race victories.
When Verstappen debuts, he will comfortably break the record as the youngest ever F1 driver by almost two years. Jaime Alguersuari currently holds that title.
Discussing his signing, Verstappen said, “First of all, I would like to thank Dr. Helmut Marko and Red Bull for all their trust and giving me the chance to make my Formula debut in 2015 with Toro Rosso. Ever since I was seven years old, Formula 1 has been my career goal, so this opportunity is truly a dream come true.
“With the return of the Verstappen name to Formula 1, I hope we can relive old memories and I’m hoping to see many fans at all the Grand Prix circuits,” he said.
Toro Rosso Team Prinicpal Franz Tost praised the success and skill that Verstappen has shown this year saying, “We are happy to welcome Max into the Toro Rosso family. We consider Max to be as one of the most skilled young drivers of the new generation and we believe he has the necessary maturity and mental strength to take on this challenge successfully.
“This year he has already demonstrated how well he can cope under difficult conditions. Bearing in mind that Toro Rosso was created with the aim of bringing young talent from the Red Bull Junior Team into Formula 1 and to educate them, it will now be up to us to provide Max with a competitive car, which will enable him to have the best possible start to his Formula 1 career.”
[Via GP Update]
