Formula One
racing team Scuderia Torro Rosso has announced that Max Verstappen, son of
former F1 driver Jos Verstappen will race for the team in 2015 replacing Jean
Eric Vergne to drive alongside the Russian Daniil Kvyat.
At the age of
17 this Dutch teenager will become the youngest ever driver in Formula 1
history. He has made a smooth transition from FIA Formula 3 European
Championship where he won 8 out of 27 races to date making him a title
contender. In 2013 Verstappen also won the Karting World Championship.
Verstappen said that driving in Formula 1 has been his
career goal since he was seven years old and this opportunity is a dream come
true for him.
Franz Tost,
Team Principal of Scuderia Torro Rosso said his team was happy to welcome Max
into the Toro Rosso family. He stated that It is 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.
Tost also
said that they consider Max to be as one of the most skilled young drivers of
the new generation and they believe he has the necessary maturity and mental
strength to take on the challenge of Formula 1 successfully.
With
Verstappen’s coming it also means that Jean Eric Vergne is currently left
without an F1 seat for 2015. The Frenchman joined Torro Rosso in 2011 and
missed out on the promotion to Redbull Racing to Daniel Ricciardo last year. He
has also been overshadowed by his current rookie team mate Kvyat.
Tost thanked
Vergne for his contributions to the team over four years. He also stated that
jean Eric Vergne has produced strong performances, but unfortunately was also
hindered by some reliability issues, in the first half of the 2014 season.
Tost hopes
that to resolve these problems and that Vergne will be able to end the second
half of this season on a high note to prove that he still deserves another
opportunity in the sport.
Picture of for Max Verstappen, courtesy Red Bull Content
pool