Max Verstappen: 17-year-old impresses on F1 debut

Max Verstappen became the youngest person ever to drive a Formula 1 car in anger when he took to Japan's Suzuka circuit on the first day of practice ahead of this weekend's Grand Prix.

The teenager, who turned 17 just three days ago, showed no ill-effects from his birthday celebrations as he acquitted himself admirably before engine failure cut short his run after 22 laps.

"Before then, it was a remarkably assured debut, showing much of the potential Red Bull had seen when they signed him to the junior team two years younger than any driver before in the sport's history," says Daniel Johnson of the Daily Telegraph. "The Dutch teenager made no errors, quickly acclimatised to the car on what is regarded as the most challenging circuit on the calendar, and ended just 0.5 seconds down on Daniil Kvyat, who has been driving the Toro Rosso all season."

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Verstappen, whose father Jos was an F1 driver in the 1980s and 90s, appeared relaxed after his debut. "I was just driving safely without doing any crazy stuff," he shrugged. "For me the main thing today was just to try to make a lot of laps."

His level-headed approach will serve him well next season. "When he makes his debut for Toro Rosso next year he will become the youngest driver to compete in an F1 race by some distance – almost two years the junior of Jaime Alguersuari who was 19 years and 125 days old when he ran in the Hungarian Grand Prix in 2009," says The Guardian.

While the teenager was 12th fastest on his first outing he was still some way off the pace set by Mercedes. Lewis Hamilton was fastest, beating team mate Nico Rosberg by 0.24 seconds. But the pair were "in a league of their own", says Andrew Benson of the BBC. "No-one looked like they had a chance of challenging Hamilton and Rosberg at the latest stage of their tense battle for the title."

However, the race is likely to be affected by heavy rain thanks to Typhoon Phanfone, which is bearing down on Japan.