Rain restricts Max' running during Toro Rosso test

Published on 03 December 2014 by Stefan Meens

Max Verstapppen travelled to the Autodromo Enzo e Dino Ferrari to complete a day in the STR7, Scuderia Toro Rosso's 2012-spec racer, in preparation for his Formula 1 début in Melboure next year. Unfortunately for Max and his team, the rain that swept across the Italian track throughout the day, prevented the Red Bull Junior from any proper mileage. After only three laps, the team had to call it a day.

The Dutchman told Verstappen.nl: “The plan for the day was to do a lot of long-runs, so I would gain more experience in terms of tyre management, and in particular, how to keep them in shape over longer periods of time. But due to the bad weather I only managed a few laps.”

Max is no stranger to Imola. In October, he won a race at the circuit in the FIA Formula 3 European Championship. Despite having lapped the track in both an F1 and a F3 car, the 2015 Scuderia Toro Rosso driver is unable to compare both racers. “I wasn’t able to properly push in these conditions which means the comparison goes out the window.”

In the morning, the roaring V8 is brought to life, bringing a smile to everyone's face. The joy is only short-lived. After an installation lap, the 17-year-old is called back into the pits as the team hopes for the conditions to improve. Round about midday, the STR7 is send out once more, but after two laps, the team concedes that running on slicks, the aim of the day, is unachievable.

“I did do a practice start, but it's hard to really work through a program properly in the rain. Especially when it's this wet, driving can become a bit dangerous as the tyres can only deal with a certain amount of water”, explains a disappointed Max, who after a quick visit to the STR factory in Faenza, made his way to Milton Keynes in England. There, on Thursday, the youngster will drive the Red Bull simulator.

Video footage of Max in the Toro Rosso today, can be found below on the team's YouTube Channel. For exclusive photographs of today's test, visit our album.