Team Motopark boss predicts F1 future for Max
Published on 09 July 2014 by Stefan Meens
Due to the calendar and busy schedule of the FIA Formula 3 European Championship, only teams from the German and British F3 series entered this year’s Zandvoort Masters. Van Amersfoort Racing also entered the prestigious Dutch event but as both their drivers were signed up before Max Verstappen joined the Dutch outfit in the Euro F3 series, the 16-year-old racer drove for Team Motopark at Zandvoort.
Team boss Timo Rumpfkeil is very happy with Max’ historic win at the Masters as it was the team’s 200th victory. “It was a terrific weekend for the team. All three of our cars were fast with Max taking pole. However, our other two drivers Nabil Jeffri and Indy Dontje qualified in third and sixth so to finish in first, third and fourth made it even better.”
Despite Max driving in the European F3 championship with a different team, chassis and engine, the Dutchman is no stranger to Team Motopark as he absolved a test with German outfit in December last year. The test was his first outing in an F3 racer.
“Obviously, a test (Valencia) and a race weekend (Zandvoort) are two separate things. In Spain, Max was very inexperienced, which of course he still is. However it’s easy to forget that when you see him in the car and paddock. He comes across very mature and he delivered what we expected. He operates at a high level: very focussed good feedback and translating the feedback of engineers into better lap times.”
Rumpfkeil is also impressed with the way Max kept his cool during the race. “He had a great start and showed great pace in the opening laps which enabled him to open up a gap and maintain it throughout the race. He did it in difficult conditions and showed real maturity for his age."
Due to the impressive results in the European championship, Max has gained a lot of attention. However, he does not seem affected by the pressure. “As a team we are used to all the media attention but here at Zandvoort it was a bit more than usual, that’s for sure. But we have the experience to cope with that and it’s our job to keep Max away from the attention when needed. Nevertheless, I’m very impressed how he dealt with the pressure throughout the weekend. In the Euro F3 championship he is the underdog racing against the odds. However, at Zandvoort he was the favourite and only a win would count. He dealt with it extremely well and he delivered when it mattered.”
The Motopark boss remains realistic though. “Max’ weak point is his lack of experience. But in the end of the day it is only his first year of car racing so he there is still plenty to learn. Nevertheless, he is performing remarkably well. His karting career was impressive, but nobody could’ve expected Max to jump into the European F3 championship and perform like he does at the moment. All the results this season are just the underlining of what we know is there in potential. But it is still amazing to see him actually pull it off.”
During his career as Team Motoparks boss, Rumpfkeil has seen plenty of talented drivers throughout the years. In his opinion, Max fits the bill to be a future F1 driver. “Max hardly makes mistakes and when does make one, he recovers from it and doesn’t repeat it. In addition, his talent, skill and car control are on a very high level. So if you compare Max with the few guys that made it into Formula 1 and DTM - our internal bench mark is always Valtteri Bottas - then I think Max is on the same level in terms of skill and talent. I definitely foresee a career in F1 for Max.”
