SUZUKA, Japan // Sebastian Vettel lost another Formula One record to the PlayStation generation yesterday when Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to take part in a grand prix weekend, only days after his 17th birthday.
It was certainly not child’s play for the Dutch youngster, who was 12th fastest in the opening Japanese Grand Prix practice session, but he recognised his task had been made easier by honing his skills in the virtual world.
Verstappen, who next year will become the sport’s youngest race driver when he debuts for Toro Rosso, replaced Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne for the opening 90 minutes at Suzuka.
In doing so, he replaced in the record books Red Bull’s Vettel, the previous youngest, after making his weekend debut in 2006 at 19 years and 53 days.
It was the second record the German four times world champion has relinquished this season, with Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat becoming the youngest points scorer, at the age of 19, in Melbourne in March.
Verstappen, son of former F1 racer Jos, took it all in his stride.
Asked whether he had found it hard to cope with the workload imposed on the current crop of F1 drivers, who must operate a complex array of buttons and knobs on the steering wheel, he smiled.
“No, not really,” said the Dutchman, who is still too young to drive unaccompanied on public roads.
“All the different buttons and knobs, I think because the younger generation, you grow up with it, with all that kind of stuff and you play many times on the PlayStation, and then you can see also the buttons – they are all there – so you already, like, have a first feel for it.”
A year ago, Verstappen was still racing go-karts.
He is in his first season of car racing and challenging for the European Formula 3 title.
He will replace Vergne at Toro Rosso next year.
He acquitted himself well on Friday, tackling the challenging sweeps and high-speed corners of the 5.8-kilometre Suzuka circuit to end just four-tenths of a second shy of Kvyat.
Verstappen’s arrival has led to criticism that modern F1 cars, packed with all manner of electronic wizardry, have become too easy to drive.
The teenager dismissed the idea.
“I think an F1 car is never easy to drive,” he said. “At least not for me.”
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