Helmut Marko disappointed by age restrictions in F1
While Toro Rosso is doing wonders at the start of the season, Helmut Marko says he is disappointed by the age restrictions for entering Formula 1.
The FIA announced last year that the minimum age to obtain a Super License, an essential requirement to race in Formula 1, will be raised to 18 as of the 2016 season.
This regulation appeared after Max Verstappen signed with Toro Rosso this season, even though the driver is only 17 years old and has just one season behind him in single-seaters.
After scoring his first points in Malaysia, Max Verstappen has shown that age does not factor into driving an F1, or at least that’s what Helmut Marko stated on the Austrian channel Servus TV: « The maturity of our two young drivers is probably no longer an issue. Now, it is sad to see a regulation that could have deprived Max and Carlos of the Super-license they needed. The sport is over-regulated, if you are 17 years old but have the maturity of a 22-year-old, then in my opinion, this rule is too strict. »
Helmut Marko continues and explains that there was nothing irresponsible about giving Verstappen a chance in F1, even though he had only completed one season in Formula 3: « We did nothing reckless. We had him test a Formula Renault 3.5, a 2-year-old F1 car, and we put him in the simulator. In the end, he has been competitive from the start. »
Toro Rosso is currently ranked 5th in the constructors’ championship ahead of Red Bull.
