Max Verstappen shares advice on breaking into F1 that most young drivers ignore

Few people in Formula 1 are better positioned to offer career advice to young drivers than Max Verstappen.

Verstappen still holds the record for the youngest driver to ever start an F1 race, a mark that’s likely to stand for some time. Nowadays, drivers need special approval from the FIA to obtain a superlicense before turning 18.

Helmut Marko and Red Bull took a chance on Verstappen, and it has more than paid off. The Dutchman had his father Jos – himself an F1 veteran – by his side but showed early on that he had the raw talent needed to make it in the sport.

It wasn’t exactly a straight path into Formula 1 either. Verstappen skipped Formula 2 entirely and moved up after finishing third in the 2014 European Formula 3 Championship behind Esteban Ocon.

“I think first of all [it] depends how your life is structured, and also how mature you are,” said Verstappen when asked about his early entry into F1. “Some are ready, some are not.”

“I was always very involved with what was happening next to my car as well… I think it’s very important, especially at such a young age. You have so much going on around you that sometimes you can be too focused on what is happening away from driving.”

Max Verstappen Advises Young Drivers Not to Rush Into Racing Cars

Speaking on the Pelas Pistas Podcast late in the 2025 F1 season, Verstappen shared his thoughts on what it takes to reach the highest level of motorsport.

“I always advise everyone before they go to cars, at least do your final year in go-karting and shifter because you learn how to use the gears in the dry, in the wet and the start on lap one,” he said.

“You learn how to use the gear to go one down or whatever. When you’re defending, attacking, it’s very different.”

“The brake bias, you can already adjust it. Not many people listen, but I do think it’s very – for me at least – it was super helpful because then when you go into cars, you know exactly how to use the gears or play with the gears because when you’re high RPM low RPM. The go-kart reacts differently.”

He added: “It’s the same in a car right? High RPM or low RPM? You get a whole different balance of a car. And that’s why I think doing at least one year or at least a few races just to understand what’s going on.

“Most of these kids going into cars are spamming with gears and not really understanding even how to use them for balance or rotation and stuff like that.”