Max Verstappen will be the youngest ever participant in a Formula One race when he lines up on the grid at the Australian Grand Prix in Melbourne this weekend.
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The Torro Rosso driver, just 17, will beat the record of Jaime Alguersuari by 439 days when the green light gets the first race of the 2015 season underway at Albert Park on Sunday.
Spend any amount of time with Verstappen and it’s clear to see motorsport is a passion shared by the entire family.
Most parents steer their children away from fast and dangerous sports, but there was no danger of that happening to the Dutch teen. His father is Jos Verstappen, a Formula One veteran who raced in 107 grands prix between 1994 and 2003. Verstappen’s mother Sophie was also a successful kart driver.
.@PeterDWindsor “I think Max #Verstappen is an extraordinary talent & whether he’s 17 or 27 he’s exceptional.” #ausgp pic.twitter.com/j7jSX8bfmP
— Aus Grand Prix (@ausgrandprix) March 11, 2015
“They were always supporting me so I always had their backing,” he said. “When I was three I was already driving on quads. When I was four I first started in go-karts. If you have a family that’s into motor racing it’s easy to get caught with the racing virus.
“Mum was not scared so that is always nice to have them behind you. They did everything with caution, but I didn’t have massive accidents so let’s keep it like that.”
Even his younger sister Victoria has been bitten by the racing bug, the youngster describing a typical Verstappen day out as go-karting with Victoria.
“I like to spend time with the family, especially my sister. She’s just started go-karting now so I try to help her out a bit,” he said. “It’s a proper family business. My mum is watching, dad is mechanicing and I’m giving her driving tips so it’s the whole family.”
Even if he hadn’t navigated his way to the starting line this weekend, Verstappen was always going to be involved with racing one way or another.
“Racing is in my blood,” he said. “Anything with an engine in I enjoy. If I was not involved in four wheels racing, I think I would be driving on two wheels, it was always something to do with racing that’s for sure.
“I couldn’t see myself being in an office or in school like the other kids my age.”
