Drivers welcome young talent in F1
Having been asked for their opinion on the recent announcement of Max Verstappen joining F1, the drivers in today's press conference proved happy with the young talent, hoping he will succeed in the sport.
Felipe Massa was first asked for an opinion, and the Brazilian clearly stated that talent, no matter what age, is welcome to Formula One.
"Definitely, he’s a very quick driver", Massa said. "He shows talent in a go-kart, in Formula 3, winning many races; I think he’s second in the championship. It’s his opportunity. First of all, I think it’s great that teams are still interested in the talent of the driver and not the money and I think that’s really positive, it’s good for the sport in general. I’m happy for that."
The Williams driver, albeit happy to see that teams still have an eye on talent as well, is aware that Max's young age may be a bit early and possibly an additional burden to succeed.
"Seventeen is a little bit young! For sure, we need to wait and see how he’s going to perform in his first year. I think the most important thing is that he has the talent; I mean he’s quick. I hope he can be clever as well, to learn everything from Formula One. There’s a lot that be will learn and I hope he’s quick enough to learn and to be consistent in Formula One and that he can stay, not just staying for one or two years and not doing what he’s supposed to do. Until now he shows great talent and I hope he can show the same in Formula One, so I’m happy."
Nico Rosberg is of a similar opinion, thinking he'll do fine.
"All the journalists are always asking ‘is it only with money that you can get to the sport?’ and things like that. It’s great to see that if you have the talent and you really deserve it… there have been many examples recently that have made it into F1. That’s important, that’s good. Of course, it’s very young but I think we’ll be OK."
Daniel Ricciardo concluded, saying he agrees and the the news "makes him feel a bit old". The Australian himself also worked his way up through the ranks in the Red Bull Junior team, similar to Max Verstappen's plans.
