It is undeniable that Max Verstappen is an extremely successful driver. He has already won 2 Championships and is on his way to winning his 3rd. However, this may not have happened if Red Bull had not taken Max in so early.
Red Bull‘s advisor, Helmut Marko was recently asked about taking Max Verstappen into the team at a very early age. To this, Helmut replied:
“You find such a driver once every ten years. That is something extraordinary.” “What if something had happened? Of course, the public would have fallen over us then. The system was also adjusted afterward, you now have to be eighteen years old (for Formula 1).” “It turned out sensational then. He did some stupid things, but others still do at the age of 22.” “The proof is there.”
🗣️ | Helmut Marko on the risks of taking Max in so early
“You find such a driver once every ten years. That is something extraordinary.”
“What if something had happened? Of course the public would have fallen over us then. The system was also adjusted afterwards, you now have… pic.twitter.com/GlqOf8LMTX
— RBR News 🇳🇱🇲🇽 (@redbulletin) August 12, 2023
Max Verstappen became part of Red Bull’s junior team in 2015. At the time he was only 17 years old and had not raced in Formula 2. He was taken straight out of the European Formula 3 Championship where he finished 3rd in the 2014 season.
However, this did not stop Helmut Marko from identifying the talent in him. Before making his way to Formula 3, Max Verstappen had won over 25 Karting Championships. He was also one of the youngest drivers to drive in European Formula 3.
After just a year with Toro Rosso, Max Verstappen was asked to step up his game with Red Bull Racing midway through the 2016 season. He seems to have delivered. Max Verstappen won his first race with Red Bull during the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
What mistakes did Max Verstappen make?
Being a young Formula 1 driver is not easy. He was pitted against world-class drivers who had much more experience than he did. He had to really earn his place to stay in Formula 1.
In trying to do so, Max earned the badge of a young and aggressive driver at the time. One incident that comes to mind is the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix where he missed out on an opportunity to win the race by crashing into Sebastian Vettel. Daniel Ricciardo who was behind Max, went on to win the race for Red Bull.
“It’s a life lesson” – Max Verstappen reflects after a clash with Vettel earned him a 10s penalty#ChineseGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/ffH7tMgZtJ
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 15, 2018
However, over the years, Max Verstappen has really matured and improved in his driving. He fought a close battle with Lewis Hamilton during the 2021 season. He was able to win the Championship in the last lap of the last race of the season.
Since then, Max Verstappen has won one more Championship where he dominated the season. His domination has continued on to the 2023 season as well. He has won all but 2 races this season. The 2-time Champion also has won the last 8 races in a row. He now has the chance to equal the record set by Sebastian Vettel in 2013 where he won 9 races in a row.
Today we can say without a doubt that Red Bull’s gamble with bringing Verstappen into the fold earlier than expected has paid off.