Month: November 2019

Max Verstappen says his rapid promotion to F1 after just a single year of racing led to mistakes that others made earlier in their career.

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A successful career in karting, which he started at just five-years-old, and good mentoring by his father encouraged Verstappen to switch to cars in 2014.

With the support of Red Bull, the Dutchman finished third in the European Formula 3 Championship, winning ten races, a track record that encouraged Red Bull Motorsport boss Helmut Marko to include the young charger in Toro Rosso’s F1 line-up for 2015.

At just 17, Verstappen was promoted to the big time, and then enjoyed further advancement in 2016 when he stepped up to Red Bull, winning at the outset in Barcelona and becoming the sport’s youngest ever Grand Prix winner.

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However, Verstappen’s formative years in F1 were marked by a few high-profile mistakes. But after a troubled start to his season in 2018, the 21-year-old has reined in his aggression and undoubtedly gained in maturity and consistency.

“Last year, from the second half of the season it was good,” Verstappen.

“It can always be better. Over the years, you learn how to be better.

“Through experience, from the races I’ve done, I’m definitely not a rookie now.

“I’ve done 90-plus starts, so of course, I did only one year in F3 and getting into F1 is a big jump, so I guess you made a few mistakes which maybe others have made in F2.”

A seven-time Grand Prix winner, Verstappen continues to grow, which is perhaps a frightening fact to grasp for his rivals.

“I’m still getting better,” he added. “I’m only 21.

“[I have better] consistency, knowing when to peak, when not to, when to take a risk, when not to. Trying to bring a result back and score the points.”

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Guenther Steiner cut a gloomy figure on Sunday afternoon at Silverstone, the Haas boss railing against his drivers following their opening lap contact that destroyed the team’s race.

Romain Grosjean and Kevin Magnussen were jockeying for position at the start when the Frenchman brushed his teammate on the exit of Turn 5 as the pair head on to the Wellington straight.

The contact appeared harmless at first glance but resulted in punctures for both men. Magnussen pitted on lap 1 and Grosjean a lap later, but the damage sustained by both cars would eventually prove terminal and send the duo into retirement shortly after.

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Predictably, Steiner was unimpressed, insisting his drivers’ antics had ruined the team’s afternoon and thwarted an opportunity for Haas to further evaluate the different specifications Haas was running at Silverstone in a bid to solve its car’s chronic issues.

“Both of them are in trouble.” A very angry Steiner said.

“It’s not acceptable. I was pretty clear after Barcelona what not to do. We’re in a difficult enough situation trying to get the car back on track and they’ve got the chance where it seems like our long runs are OK.

“Then they crash into each other at Turn 5, and that’s not acceptable.”

Asked what his drivers had to say for themselves, Steiner said he had done th talking in the team’s post-race briefing.

“They didn’t speak. I told them. To explain something like this, you don’t need a lot of time.

“You can say a lot in only a few words and I’m obviously disappointed to have to say it. Everybody is working hard to get out of the hole we are in.

“The drivers are given a chance to score points or, at least, learn something and they do this. I don’t need an explanation.”

Looking ahead, Steiner admitted he would need to find a solution to keep his drivers from running into each other in the future.

“I don’t have a solution,” he admitted. “I need to sleep over it, I need to wind down and come up with a solution. Coming up with a solution is my job.

“Everyone here works for the team, and I’m the first one to work double the time and I want everyone to be steering the same direction.

©Haas