Max awarded Lorenzo Bandini trophy: "Very honoured"

Published on 18 July 2016 by Stefan Meens

In the small Italian town that is Brisighella, Max Verstappen received the prestigious Lorenzo Bandini trophy. The 18-year-old Dutch Formula 1 driver was awarded the prize for his outstanding 2015 rookie campaign in which the youngster scored two fourth places and 49 points in total.

“I’m honoured to receive this award. It’s amazing recognition”, said Max, who earlier this year made the move from Scuderia Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing. “I now drive for a top team but the attitude and hunger for success is the same in both teams.”

The Trofeo Lorenzo Bandini was established in 1992 and is to be awarded to person or team for a commendable performance in motorsport in the previous year. Other winners include world champions Michael Schumacher (2003), Kimi Raikkonen (2004), Fernando Alonso (2005), Sebastian Vettel (2009) and Lewis Hamilton (2010). Nico Rosberg and Daniel Ricciardo have also won the prize. Last year, Mercedes F1 were the first constructor to receive the accolade.

In Brisighella, nearby Toro Rosso’s home base in Faenza, Max was not the only one receiving awards. The efforts of Red Bull Racing team boss Christian Horner and Dutch Formula 1 photographer Peter van Egmond were also recognized.

Scuderia Toro Rosso provided the perfect back drop for this year’s ceremony. The Italian team displayed their first ten cars from 2006’s STR1 to last year’s STR10. Straight after the event, Max left per helicopter to get back in time for another work week, staring with simulator tests.