Max Verstappen explains why he is 'very happy' to have made F1 debut with Toro Rosso and not Red Bull

Max Verstappen advises fellow Dutchman Nyck de Vries to enjoy his maiden Formula 1 season with Verstappen's former team Scuderia Toro Rosso (now known as Scuderia AlphaTauri). The Dutch world champion reminisced about his debut with the Faenza-based team and revered his experience with them.

Speaking to US broadcaster NBC, Verstappen said:

“Enjoy it. He's [Nyck de Vries] in a team where he's not going to fight for wins, but it's maybe good because, in the first year, you don't necessarily need that or want that. Of course, everyone wants to win, but when you have very little experience.. I'm also very happy that I started at Toro Rosso, for example. You just build up experience, you can make mistakes and nobody really pays a lot of attention to it.”

Having debuted at the age of 17 with the Faenza-based team, Max Verstappen feels that de Vries should enjoy his debut stint with AlphaTauri. The Dutch champion feels that the maiden year with a team like Toro Rosso aka Alpha Tauri can be an umbrella when drivers have minimal experience and tend to make mistakes.

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Max Verstappen tips off Logan Sargeant to embrace the learning experience in his debut year at Williams

Welcoming Williams' newly signed driver Logan Sargeant into the sport for the 2023 Formula 1 season, Max Verstappen advised the rookie to enjoy the opportunity and the learning experience. The Dutchman reckons that it is important to enjoy the learning process in the debut year and feels that the young American driver should be proud of the opportunity he has earned to drive in the sport.

Advising Logan Sargeant, who will make his debut in 2023, Max Verstappen suggested:

“I just hope he learns a lot in that first year – don't put too much pressure on yourself, because it's an amazing opportunity. There are a lot of amazing drivers out there, but you're there on merit, you deserve it. And, of course, as an American, I think it's an amazing opportunity for himself but also to drive three American Grands Prix, so I wish him the best.”

With Nicholas Latifi replaced, Sargeant will be an American driver on the grid after a long period of time in F1. With three American races on the calendar, a debut year with Williams might be a pressured opportunity yet a hard-earned one for the former F2 driver to prove his mettle.