Newly-turned 17-year-old "really relaxed" and expects to sleep well ahead of Suzuka outing; Dutchman not feeling pressure of Marko's Senna comparison; Sebastian Vettel urges patience with young star
Friday 17 October 2014 17:38, UK
Max Verstappen insists he will remain focused on just ‘doing my thing’ during his F1 Practice debut amid the heightened level of expectancy surrounding the teenager’s appearance at Suzuka on Friday.
Unusually for a driver just beginning his F1 career via the relatively low-key surroundings of a Practice One session, Verstappen will make his bow with plenty of scrutiny on his 17-year-old shoulders given he becomes the youngest driver to ever compete in a grand prix weekend and he has already been confirmed in a Toro Rosso race seat for 2015.
His rapid ascension through the junior ranks – Verstappen only made his debut in single-seater racing this year after a stellar karting record – has also marked the Dutchman out as a star in the making with Red Bull moving to secure his services from under the noses of Mercedes prior to handing him a race seat at their junior team.
Bookmakers are also offering odds on whether Verstappen could even emulate four-times World Champion Sebastian Vettel and set the pace on his practice debut. However, despite the billing his Japan debut is being given, Verstappen is keeping his feet on the ground.
“For sure everyone is watching, but I just stay calm and have to do my thing,” the son of former Benetton driver Jos said in an interview with Sky Sports News HQ’s Craig Slater at Suzuka.
“Not at all [does it matter where he finishes on the timesheet] because for me this year I am just preparing for next year and I need to get experience of the new engine as it is a bit different than the last few years. I just laps and to get used to all the stuff.”
Although Verstappen is keen to stress that he won’t be focusing on outright performance on what will be his first run in the STR9 after one acclimatisation test in a two-year-old Toro Rosso, initial observations about his performance are inevitable, particularly after Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko underlined the high regard the company hold him in by comparing him to the legendary Ayrton Senna.
“It is an honour that Red Bull thinks I am like that but for the moment I still have to prove it in F1 and I think everyone has ideas, but you cannot compare. So I am just going to do my thing and then we will see,” Verstappen replied when asked about the Senna comparison.
“For me it is not a problem. It is always nice to hear it, but I am just focussing on what I need to do.”
Verstappen will become the seventh different driver this year to make his grand prix weekend debut in a P1 session but comparisons are being drawn to the F1 debut of Red Bull’s original protege, four-times champion Vettel, at the 2006 Turkish GP. At the time on loan to front-runners BMW, the then 19-year-old Vettel set the outright Friday pace before going on to make his full F1 debut with Toro Rosso the following season.
Now the grid’s most successful driver, Vettel was asked to compare the challenges he faced in his early F1 forays compared with those that await Verstappen.
“I think one of the biggest differences is that I was able to drive myself from the hotel to the track – which I think he isn’t. He doesn’t have a driver’s licence,” Vettel joked.
“I think Formula 1 has changed a lot, especially this year so it’s not a secret cars got slower. Different to drive to previous years, probably a little bit more technical but less demanding in terms of the corner speeds we are taking. Especially on a track like this.
“But, y’know, I’m as excited as you to see him running."
The World Champion also stressed that Verstappen needs to be given time to find his feet in motorsport's top category.
"Obviously he was only done half a year, three-quarters of a year in Formula Three. I think he has a remarkable record in go-karting. So, yeah, I think he has the potential," an impressed Vettel enthused.
"On the other hand, you need to give him time, as much as he needs. When I was 19, joining Formula 1, the first time. Of course, you always feel ready and you don’t say no if somebody gives you the opportunity to race or drive a Formula 1 car – but you have to take your time to get used to all the things. Not just the car but also working with the team, which is completely different in Formula 1 to all the other categories."
The biggest day in Verstappen's nascent motorsport career therefore awaits in front of a worldwide audience on Friday, although the young Dutchman himself isn't anticipating any overnight nerves.
"I am really relaxed. I am not here to break records, I am here to get experience so I think I will sleep well," he confidently predicted.
Other drivers to make their F1 debut during a P1 session in 2014:
Felipe Nasr – Williams (Bahrain)
Robin Frijns – Caterham (Bahrain)
Daniel Juncadella – Force India (Great Britain)
Susie Wolff – Williams (Great Britain)
Andre Lotterer – Caterham (Belgium) *completed full race weekend
Roberto Merhi – Caterham (Italy)
