Max Verstappen is undoubtedly one of the generational talents of Formula 1, having made his debut at just 17 years old in 2015.
Red Bull fast-tracked the Dutchman to F1 after seeing him perform in European F3, while also prying him away from Mercedes who were also keen to offer him a contract.
Verstappen’s debut came at the 2015 Australian GP with Toro Rosso, and although he retired with a power unit problem, he made an impression having qualified in P12 and ahead of Daniil Kvyat in the main Red Bull team.
His promotion to Red Bull after four races the following season would yield an instant victory at the Spanish GP, foreshadowing the success Verstappen would have with the outfit.
Prior to him making it on the grid, 1997 world champion Jacques Villeneuve questioned Verstappen’s credentials after seeing one thing early in his career when speaking to CNN.
Jacques Villeneuve questioned Max Verstappen’s father influence
Verstappen had his father, Jos Verstappen, around him for most of his early races with Toro Rosso as he was learning to find his feet in the F1 juggernaut.
Villeneuve believed this was one area Verstappen could not help because of his age, but questioned whether it was the right approach for the Dutchman.
“He’s been in a go-kart since he was five and you have the impression that it’s his dad that’s in the car. His dad is there present and pushing him,” said Villeneuve.
“So that’s one aspect I don’t relate to and you see that in a lot of football, hockey, the football parents. That’s a little bit of what you see, but Max is 17, he’s not even allowed to travel alone. So he cannot help that.”
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Red Bull’s perseverance with Max Verstappen paid off in the long term
Verstappen might have been an instant success when he made his debut with the team, but it was all circumstantial for the Dutchman.
Both Lewis Hamilton and Nico Rosberg collided and took each other out at the start of the Spanish GP that year, which paved the way for Verstappen to take the win having qualified in third.
It would take another four years at Red Bull before Verstappen became a title contender, when he went up against Hamilton in 2021.
From there he has not looked back, but it goes to show that Verstappen had to endure a few years of development at Red Bull before becoming the finished article.
