Laurent Mekies reveals role in major change after Max Verstappen controversy

Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies has revealed he set up the current F1 super licence system to stop another young driver from entering the sport in a similar fashion to Max Verstappen.

Verstappen was handed a seat at Red Bull's sister team Toro Rosso in 2015, becoming the youngest driver in F1 history at just 17 years of age.

The FIA quickly worked to change its super licence rules in light of Verstappen's promotion to F1, which included raising the minimum age to 18 and acquiring points by competing in other motorsport categories.

Mekies had just started work at the FIA at the time as safety director and detailed one of his first tasks in the role was to revamp the system.

“I reached the FIA just as Max got his super licence at 17,” Mekies told the Talking Bulls podcast.

“The very, very first thing that Jean Todt, the president of the FIA at the time, asked me to do, he said: ‘This young kid, Max, he just got his license at 17 years old. That’s ridiculous’.

“‘People will not understand why you can’t have a driver’s licence for the street and you can drive an F1 car.

“‘Please look at it with your team, make a new structure for how to get a super licence because this can’t happen again’.

“Thanks to Max being that outstanding, we now have a completely new super license points system, including the minimum.

“It’s better he doesn’t know that I was trying to stop him!”

No driver under the age of 18 was able to acquire a super licence from the FIA until earlier this year.

The governing body confirmed a request that saw Red Bull junior Arvid Lindblad receive a super licence prior to his 18th birthday.

It came after the FIA made an adjustment to its International Sporting Code (ISC) that allowed a driver to be issued a super licence early if they demonstrate adequate skill behind the wheel.

“At the sole discretion of the FIA, a driver judged to have recently and consistently demonstrated outstanding ability and maturity in single-seater formula car competition may be granted a Super Licence at the age of 17 years old,” the updated line in the ISC reads.