Skip to content

Max Verstappen had his first proper test in an F1 car on Wednesday

"Very impressive," say Toro Rosso as Dutch youngster gains mileage

Max Verstappen
Image: Max Verstappen: First test for Toro Rosso

Max Verstappen completed his first proper test in a Formula 1 car on Wednesday, when he took the wheel of a Toro Rosso in Italy.

The 16-year-old, who was announced by the Red Bull-backed team as a 2015 race driver last month, drove a 2012 STR7 at the Adria International Raceway near their base at Faenza.

Verstappen completed 148 laps of the 2.702km track, having previously had outings at Rockingham and also a promotional show in Rotterdam, during which he had a minor crash.

There were no such incidents in the latest test, however, with the Dutch youngster starting on a damp track before switching to slicks later in the day.

“I was looking forward to my first drive in a Formula 1 car on a proper race track and I really enjoyed it,” said Verstappen, who turns 17 later this month and will become the sport's youngest-ever driver.

The F1 Show

“It was a good opportunity to work with Xevi [Pujolar], who will be my race engineer next year, as well as having a chance to get used to all the buttons on the steering wheel. I think it went well and I can’t wait to get back into a Formula 1 car as soon as possible.”   

The test means that Verstappen has now completed the 300km necessary for an FIA super licence, clearing the way for practice appearances later this season.

“Max started his run on Intermediates and got up to speed, making no mistakes. We worked through various procedures that make up a race weekend,” said Pujolar.

“He was very focused and precise and learned quickly, without having to ask many questions.

“Once we were able to fit slicks, he got used to the car in the dry and built up his speed, while we tried various fuel levels, replicating both qualifying and race trim, doing a mix of short and long runs.

“For a first day, it was very impressive.”

Around Sky