Crashing time for wonder boy Max
WHAT a difference a fortnight makes. Max Verstappen, who became the youngest ever race winner in Barcelona, turned into the crash kid of Monaco. Aged just 18, the Dutchman (below) is hotly tipped to became a consistent Formula One star, but this weekend can firmly be classified as a learning experience. He crashed in qualifying, clipping the front right wheel of his Red Bull on the exit of the swimming pool, and started yesterday’s race from the pit lane. He then showed typical brio by charging up the field in his super-fast car to reach as high as ninth, only to prang for a second consecutive day, this time at Massenet. After stepping out of his wrecked machine close to the canopy hanging from Hotel de Paris, he said: ‘I am disappointed in myself and disappointed for the team. ‘It was pretty tricky, especially at the beginning of the race. It got better and better, the track was drying, and from then on we had great pace and I was overtaking cars and everything felt well. Then we put on the soft tyres and I locked up. I went a bit off-line and then you arrive in the wet area and I was a passenger from there on. ‘That’s racing. It can go up and down very quickly but you shouldn’t back off. You should keep positive, keep pushing. I’m already focusing on Canada now and leaving Monaco behind.’ This was only Verstappen’s second race for Red Bull since being promoted from Toro Rosso earlier this month as Daniil Kvyat’s replacement. ‘Max is balanced and intelligent and he’ll take this and learn,’ said Red Bull boss Christian Horner. Briton Jolyon Palmer, of Renault, and former champion Kimi Raikkonen also crashed on a day when the wet conditions accounted for seven non-finishers.