Red Bull motorsport boss Helmut Marko says the FIA was "stupid" to set an age limit for drivers to compete in Formula 1, insisting the "nonsense" rule puts age before maturity.
At 17 years and 166 days, Max Verstappen was by far the youngest driver ever to race in F1, a record achieved thanks to Red Bull and Marko in particular who signed up the young Dutchman for a full season with Toro Rosso in 2015.
But Verstappen's nomination was frowned upon by the FIA that feared the talent, while gifted with remarkable skills, was not mature enough to race among the elite.
The governing body thus imposed an age limit in the wake of Verstappen's promotion to F1, making mandatory from 2016 that drivers be at least 18 years of age to be eligible for an F1 Super Licence, a decision that Marko still disagrees with five years on.
"Basically, Max started at the same level as his team-mate Carlos Sainz, who already had more experience in the junior classes," the Austrian said in an interview with the Dutch edition of Motorsport.com.
"We have never doubted our own choices or Max’s qualities, although it’s a gamble whether drivers who are successful in the entry-level classes can do the same in Formula 1.
"You never have that guarantee."
But Marko, upon meeting with Verstappen, was so impressed by the teenager's personality and character that he felt confident in promoting the Dutchman to the big time.
"During the long conversation, I became quite convinced Max was ahead of his time," he recalled. "He even seemed more mature to me than many 18-year-old drivers.
"My main conclusion was that there was a very young body, but someone who was at least three to five years older in spirit.
"The FIA didn’t see that and was stupid enough to change the whole licensing system, so nobody as young can ever make their debut again.
"I still think that is nonsense. In my opinion you should always look at the personality of a young driver."
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