Young Verstappen's secret

5/17/2016

The eighteen-year-old is the youngest F1 Race winner with Brembo brakes. Just like for him, Brembo was there for the first F1 crowns won by Schumacher, Senna, Vettel and…

One never forgets his first Formula 1 victory. In a few years, Max Verstappen will realise this. In Barcelona, he became the youngest winner of a GP race in the history of Formula 1. Many were surprised by this feat, but not Dietrich Mateschitz and Helmut Marko, who had him make his first appearance with the Toro Rossa a year ago when he was still a minor. Having assessed his qualities, they decided to promote him to Red Bull mid-season on the eve of the Spanish GP. This record came about, if only in a small part, through the contribution of Brembo as well because from day one of Red Bull's participation in Formula 1, in 2005, it has always trusted the Italian braking systems: and a prudent choice it has been as demonstrated by the 51 GP wins and the 4 World Constructors' Championship titles earned.

At this season's Spanish GP as well, the two RB12 cars driven by Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were equipped with Brembo brake calipers. But this is nothing new for Max Verstappen, who used Brembo brakes in the 23 GP races he ran with Toro Rosso, so he didn't need time to adapt.

In his debut with the car that had belonged to Sebastian Vettel, Verstappen seized the record held by his predecessor of being the youngest winner of a GP race: indeed, the German had triumphed with Toro Rosso at the Italian GP in 2008 at the age of 21 years, 2 months and 11 days.

That day, his STR3 was fitted with Brembo brakes, just as all the successive single-seaters were with which he won 42 Formula 1 GP races: 38 with Red Bull, 3 with Ferrari and 1 with Toro Rosso.

Prior to these two drivers, Michael Schumacher also shared his first victory and his entire career with Brembo, comprising 91 GP race wins and 7 World Drivers' Championships.

The first 19 victories (his very first at the age of 23 years, 7 months and 27 days) and 2 championship titles he earned with Benetton, the subsequent 72 successes and 5 World Championships were with Ferrari.

Not to be forgotten is Ayrton Senna who, like Schumacher, meticulously prepared his car and, interestingly, began to win in Formula 1 with Brembo brakes.

They were fitted on the Lotus that he used to win his first GP race in 1985.

In addition to that victory there were 32 others with Brembo brakes (5 with Lotus and 27 with McLaren), making Senna the third most victorious driver ever with Brembo brakes.

All of these stories confirm that not only established champions know how to get the most from their Brembo brakes, but also the young drivers whose great talent is emerging.

The list of drivers who have celebrated all of their Formula 1 successes with cars equipped with Brembo braking systems comprises: Rubens Barrichello (9 victories with Ferrari, 2 with Brawn GP), Gerhard Berger (5 with Ferrari, 3 with McLaren and 2 with Benetton) and Mark Webber (all 9 with Red Bull).

The hope is that Max Verstappen is capable of repeating the accomplishments of these drivers, even those with the most titles. A hundred of these victories Max, always and only with Brembo!