Teenager Max Verstappen takes it easy in his first F1 drive
Dutch 17-year-old completes 22 laps at the Suzuka circuit in Japan to become the youngest driver to take part in an F1 Grand Prix weekend
For someone not old enough to hold a driver's licence, Max Verstappen looked remarkably at ease at his first official Formula One outing yesterday.
Verstappen, who turned 17 on Tuesday, became the youngest driver to take part in an F1 Grand Prix weekend when he piloted a Toro Rosso in yesterday's first practice session at the Japanese Grand Prix.
The Dutchman completed 22 laps at the demanding Suzuka circuit, setting the 12th-fastest time, lapping within four tenths of a second of his teammate Daniil Kvyat, then calmly saying he wasn't even trying that hard.
For me it's not about age, age is just a number. Sebastian started at 19 and look where he is now
"I was quite relaxed," Verstappen said. "I just did what I had to do. I was not close to pushing the limit, just driving safely without doing anything crazy and trying to make a lot of laps.
"The biggest challenge was getting used to the car," Verstappen said. "The systems, the buttons on the steering wheel."
Verstappen is almost two years younger than the previous record holder Jaime Alguersuari, who was 19 years and 125 days when he contested the 2009 Hungarian Grand Prix.
