Max Verstappen (left) and Broc Feeney, both pictured at the age of 17. Images: Peter Fox / Mark Horsburgh
Red Bull Ampol Racing team principal Roland Dane has compared Broc Feeney’s groundbreaking signing to Max Verstappen’s Formula 1 graduation as a teenager.
Feeney will compete full-time in the Repco Supercars Championship with Triple Eight Race Engineering in 2022, replacing Jamie Whincup alongside Shane van Gisbergen.
Feeney won’t be the youngest full-time driver in championship history, but it will be the first time Triple Eight has added a teenager to their main playlist.
For the Dane, some parallels can be drawn with the Dutch star Max Verstappen, who switched full-time in Formula 1 to the then famous Scuderia Toro Rosso in 2015 when he was just 17 years old.
As a prolific karting champion, Verstappen was pushed into Formula 1 in little more than a season in high-profile junior formulas.
In 2014 he took part in the now dissolved FIA Formula 3 European Championship, in which he finished third, before making his F1 training debut later that year at the age of only 17.
While the world of supercars is far from that of Formula 1, Feeney will be full-time with little more than a couple of years of tin-top competition in the bag.
“When I announced to Red Bull last year that Jamie was stepping down in late 2021 and we were discussing future plans, I said to them, ‘Look, I want you to allow us to do a Verstappen and with one young talent who we believe can actually deliver the goods, ‘”Dane told Speedcafe.com.
“Max actually had some time in a Toro Rosso before getting into the Red Bull Racing car over there, which is perhaps comparable to Super2 here, but Red Bull certainly supported me and was ready to support it.” Year with the opportunity to support Broc in Super2 this year.
“Yes, I marked it with you as potential in this regard a year ago, so yes, I compare with Max.”
Feeney has a full season in Toyota Gazoo Racing Australia 86 Series, a title-winning Super3 Series campaign, a COVID-reduced Super2 Series rookie year, and his ongoing Super2 Series campaign with Triple Eight, which has also been hampered by the pandemic. To his recognition.
More recently, a number of accomplishments, from Hyundai Club-level Excel races to the upper echelons of the Fanatec GT World Challenge Australia Powered by AWS, confirmed Dane’s belief that Feeney was ready.
While the team had a variety of replacement options, Dane said he wasn’t bothered by Feeney’s lack of experience compared to other candidates.
“There are a lot of drivers with a lot of experience,” said Dane.
“When I count the number of races Broc has driven outside of karting in his life, I’m sure I’ve driven more. it doesn’t mean that you are good.
“A lot of drivers have a lot more experience, but what’s the point? We are looking for exceptional talents and try to give these talents space to breathe and perform.
“He’s quick and has a great attitude,” added Dane.
“We wanted to have someone on the team who was more than just another driver. Someone who works well from the car, with the fans, with the media, with all partners and is very quick.
“I also like that it is very adaptable. One of the things I really like about Shane van Gisbergen is that he can get in and out of different cars in no time and be competitive.
“Broc has proven that to us indirectly and directly over the past few years by watching him get into a Hyundai Excel and beat everyone up. These uniform championships are difficult.
“Then we watch him get into a GT3 car with us and put it on pole against Garth Tander for the first time. All of these things play a role in the decision-making process. “
