F1 boss reveals how Max Verstappen landed contract

Former Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost has pinpointed Max Verstappen’s dominant wet-weather Formula 3 win at the 2014 Norisring as the moment Red Bull knew they had a superstar.



Tost led Red Bull’s junior team from 2006-2023 and championed Verstappen’s promotion to F1 at just 17.



“I Was Pushing for This”



“I was pushing for this,” he told the Inside Line F1 Podcast, recalling discussions with Helmut Marko and Jos Verstappen.



He said the Norisring race proved Verstappen’s rare feel for grip: “Max was one and a half seconds faster than the rest of the field.”







Parallels With Schumacher



Tost likened the drive to Michael Schumacher’s junior-series heroics in the 1980s, calling such wet-weather masterclasses the ultimate talent litmus test.



A Decade of Domination



Verstappen debuted for Toro Rosso in 2015, won on his Red Bull debut in 2016, and now owns four world titles.



Despite an indifferent start to 2025, Tost believes the Dutchman remains the grid’s reference and will rebound quickly.



Speculation Swirls Over Next Move



Early-season struggles with the RB21 have triggered rumours Verstappen could leave Red Bull or even F1 itself, yet Tost insists the champion’s hunger is intact.



The mentor’s recollection reinforces how one rain-soaked afternoon charted the course of modern F1.
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