F1: Max Verstappen signs with Toro Rosso for 2015
Max Verstappen, the rookie who has stunned everyone with his performance in the Formula 3 European Championship, has been signed on by Toro Rosso for the 2015 Formula 1 season. The Dutchman, son of former F1 driver Jos Verstappen, will partner with Daniil Kvyat next year. Verstappen is set to become the youngest F1 driver in the history of the sport, for he will be all of 17 years old when he lines up on the grid for the first race of the season in Australia next year. He will replace French driver Jean-Eric Vergne at Toro Rosso.
Toro Rosso is also responsible for hiring the last driver to hold Formula 1's 'youngest ever' record when they signed on Jaime Alguersuari to drive for them when he was 19 years and 125 days old. Verstappen's team-mate next year, Russian driver Kvyat, also made his debut in Formula 1 at the age of 19.
"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 Scuderia 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," the 16-year old said. He also went on to thank his father Jos Verstappen, whose part in his rapid rise through the ranks of karting and then his single seater success too, cannot be denied.
Meanwhile, Toro Rosso team boss Franz Tost declared "We are happy to welcome Max into the Toro Rosso family. It's great to see how the Red Bull Junior Programme continues to find talented young drivers and gives them the opportunity to come into Formula 1. 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."