SUZUKA, Japan // Sebastian Vettel lost another Formula One record to the PlayStation generation yesterday when Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to take part in a grand prix weekend, only days after his 17th birthday.
It was certainly not child’s play for the Dutch youngster, who was 12th fastest in the opening Japanese Grand Prix practice session, but he recognised his task had been made easier by honing his skills in the virtual world.
Verstappen, who next year will become the sport’s youngest race driver when he debuts for Toro Rosso, replaced Frenchman Jean-Eric Vergne for the opening 90 minutes at Suzuka.
In doing so, he replaced in the record books Red Bull’s Vettel, the previous youngest, after making his weekend debut in 2006 at 19 years and 53 days.
It was the second record the German four times world champion has relinquished this season, with Toro Rosso’s Daniil Kvyat becoming the youngest points scorer, at the age of 19, in Melbourne in March.
Verstappen, son of former F1 racer Jos, took it all in his stride.
Asked whether he had found it hard to cope with the workload imposed on the current crop of F1 drivers, who must operate a complex array of buttons and knobs on the steering wheel, he smiled.
“No, not really,” said the Dutchman, who is still too young to drive unaccompanied on public roads.
“All the different buttons and knobs, I think because the younger generation, you grow up with it, with all that kind of stuff and you play many times on the PlayStation, and then you can see also the buttons – they are all there – so you already, like, have a first feel for it.”
A year ago, Verstappen was still racing go-karts.
He is in his first season of car racing and challenging for the European Formula 3 title.
He will replace Vergne at Toro Rosso next year.
He acquitted himself well on Friday, tackling the challenging sweeps and high-speed corners of the 5.8-kilometre Suzuka circuit to end just four-tenths of a second shy of Kvyat.
Verstappen’s arrival has led to criticism that modern F1 cars, packed with all manner of electronic wizardry, have become too easy to drive.
The teenager dismissed the idea.
“I think an F1 car is never easy to drive,” he said. “At least not for me.”
sports@thenational.ae
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Wicked
Nayanthara: Beyond The Fairy Tale
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Director: Amith Krishnan
Rating: 3.5/5
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Director: Alfonso Cuaron
Stars: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Kline, Lesley Manville
Rating: 4/5
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Name: Qyubic
Started: October 2023
Founder: Namrata Raina
Based: Dubai
Sector: E-commerce
Current number of staff: 10
Investment stage: Pre-seed
Initial investment: Undisclosed
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Who inspires you?
I am in awe of the remarkable women in the Arab region, both big and small, pushing boundaries and becoming role models for generations. Emily Nasrallah was a writer, journalist, teacher and women’s rights activist
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Yoga relaxes me and helps me relieve tension, especially now when we’re practically chained to laptops and desks. I enjoy learning more about music and the history of famous music bands and genres.
What is favourite book?
The Perks of Being a Wallflower - I think I've read it more than 7 times
What is your favourite Arabic film?
Hala2 Lawen (Translation: Where Do We Go Now?) by Nadine Labaki
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Mamma Mia
Best piece of advice to someone looking for a career at Google?
If you’re interested in a career at Google, deep dive into the different career paths and pinpoint the space you want to join. When you know your space, you’re likely to identify the skills you need to develop.
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The flights
Etihad and Emirates fly direct from the UAE to Seoul from Dh3,775 return, including taxes
The package
Ski Safari offers a seven-night ski package to Korea, including five nights at the Dragon Valley Hotel in Yongpyong and two nights at Seoul CenterMark hotel, from £720 (Dh3,488) per person, including transfers, based on two travelling in January
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Visit www.gokorea.co.uk
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Director: Shawn Levy
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MEDIEVIL%20(1998)
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England 228-7, 50 overs
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P Raut 86, H Kaur 51; A Shrubsole 6-46
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Engine: Direct injection 4-cylinder 1.4-litre
Power: 150hp
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More than 2.2 million Indian tourists arrived in UAE in 2023
More than 3.5 million Indians reside in UAE
Indian tourists can make purchases in UAE using rupee accounts in India through QR-code-based UPI real-time payment systems
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From Zero
Artist: Linkin Park
Label: Warner Records
Number of tracks: 11
Rating: 4/5
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Display: 21cm Liquid Retina Display, 2266 x 1488, 326ppi, 500 nits
Chip: Apple A17 Pro, 6-core CPU, 5-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
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Hobbies: Reading and writing poetry
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The specs
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Install an air filter in your home.
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Haemoglobin disorders explained
Thalassaemia is part of a family of genetic conditions affecting the blood known as haemoglobin disorders.
Haemoglobin is a substance in the red blood cells that carries oxygen and a lack of it triggers anemia, leaving patients very weak, short of breath and pale.
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