Two-time world champion Mika Hakkinen admits he was wrong to label Max Verstappen 'too young' to race in Formula 1.
The former McLaren driver was among those who had their doubts about the Dutchman's ability to cope, as a mere teenager, with the difficulties and pressures of becoming a fully-fledged Grand Prix driver when Verstappen was recruited to race for Toro Rosso in 2015.
Highly impressed with what he has seen in the past 31 races from young max, and obviously proved wrong, the Finn admits he has been wrong.
"I was really happy I was wrong,' says Hakkinen about Verstappen.
"It has strengthened my understanding that young girls and young boys they are much more ready in this world. You have to let them speak, you have to listen to what they have to say.
"Max, obviously, it’s great what he has been doing and when I was a young kid – 16, 17 – when [I was] go-karting, it was amazing.
"It was incredibly competitive: the materials, discipline, physical efforts – what I needed to perform was at a very high level."
Hakkinen believes times have changed and that the younger generation now reaches a level of maturity far sooner than previously, and partly with the help of technology.
"Time has changed. Young people, more and more they are going in higher sport categories, including business, including everything.
"And people are developing much faster by time, simply because of the tools that are available today for them to study and understand what is happening in this world.
"You can go for it and study as much as you want on the internet if you find the right information. So the life is much more in the fast lane these days. That explains why these young drivers are entering in such high positions."
Hakkinen underlined F1 teams' development programs, such as Red Bull's, which offer an easier and earlier access to burgeoning young talents. Verstappen however, is by far the most impressive of all in his view.
"Teams are much more organised today than in the past, more management, the concept is much more organised. It’s a little bit easier to join in this big world.
"But nevertheless, you need great talent and commitment, great discipline to be successful and Max obviously has done a great job."
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