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Max Verstappen is Red Bull's golden boy and the team's next best hope for a world title. Despite being in Formula 1 for seven years now, Verstappen is only 23 years old. He could already be considered a veteran on the grid.
Verstappen was given his chance in Formula 1 at a young age. The Dutchman was a highly rated prospect, and Red Bull didn't want to lose the youngster to a rival team.
How old was Max Verstappen when he made his Formula 1 debut?
In 2015, Toro Rosso announced a young 17-year-old to replace Daniil Kvyat, who was promoted to Red Bull. At just 17 years and 166 days, Max Verstappen became the youngest debutant in Formula 1 history.
Max Verstappen made an instant impact on his debut with Toro Rosso. The Dutchman made it through to Q2 and eventually qualified in a respectable P12, one place ahead of Daniil Kvyat's Red Bull.
However, the race was a mixed bag for Verstappen. Having made a great start, Verstappen found himself inside the top 10 and in a points-scoring position. But on lap 34, the Renault engine behind his Toro Rosso burst into flames and Max was forced to retire from his debut race.
Verstappen did not have to wait long for his first points in Formula 1. At the very next race in Malaysia, Verstappen finished P7 and became the youngest ever points scorer in Formula 1, a record which stands to date.
Red Bull's next world champion?
Now at Red Bull, Max Verstappen is the Austrian team's best hope for a world championship since Sebastian Vettel in 2013. 2021 seems to be the best opportunity for Verstappen and Red Bull as the team has a superior car than their rivals, Mercedes. Red Bull out-qualified the reigning champions and also showed better race-pace, a feat no team has managed in the turbo-hybrid era.
Fans from the Netherlands are certainly positive that this could be the year Formula 1 crowns a Dutch champion for the first time.
