Mekies recalls how Verstappen forced FIA to rethink super license rule
Red Bull Racing team principal has recounted how Max Verstappen prompted the FIA into an overhaul of its super license system.
“Jean Todt, president of the FIA at the time, asked me… to make a new structure for how you get a super license.”- Laurent Mekies
The 48-year-old, speaking on the Talking Bulls podcast, was asked about his role in helping Verstappen secure his super license at just 17. Mekies clarified that he didn’t directly assist the Dutch driver but noted that Verstappen’s early debut forced a significant change in the FIA’s super license points system.
He said: “I reached the FIA just as Max got his super license, as you said, at 17, and the very first thing Jean Todt, president of the FIA at the time, asked me to do was say, well, you know what?"
“This young kid, Max, just got his license at 17 years old. That's ridiculous. You know, people will not understand why you cannot have a driving license for the street, but you can drive a Formula 1 car. Please look at it with your team and make a new structure for how you get a super license, because this cannot happen again.”
“So thanks to Max being that outstanding, we now have a completely new super license points system, which doesn't take a lot of time, including the minimum age," Mekies concluded.
Verstappen earned his super license in Formula 1 at the age of 17 and made his debut shortly after at the 2015 Australian Grand Prix, becoming the youngest driver in the history of the sport.
The Red Bull Racing driver has since developed over the years to become one of the best drivers the sport has ever seen, racking up four Drivers’ Championships and 68 race victories so far in his career.
Mekies labels Verstappen Red Bull’s best sensor
Earlier, Mekies lauded Verstappen as the best “sensor” the Red Bull team has. The team principal revealed how the feedback the 28-year-old offers has shaped the team’s recent progression since he took the reins of leadership.
Mekies was also full of praise for teammate Yuki Tsunoda in his assessment of the team’s recent trajectory.
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