Red Bull Juniors use Verstappen title triumph as 2022 motivation

Max Verstappen's thrilling 2021 FIA Formula One World Championship title victory will give the next crop of Red Bull Junior Team drivers extra motivation to succeed in their 2022 series. Here is all you need to know:

- The Dutchman graduated through the innovative young driver system under mentor Helmut Marko to first land an F1 drive with the Scuderia team, then a Red Bull Racing seat, leading into Grand Prix victories and finally a maiden title by the end of the breathtaking 2021 season.

- The driver programme has also catapulted Scuderia AlphaTauri's Pierre Gasly, four-time F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel, McLaren's Daniel Ricciardo, Ferrari star Carlos Sainz Jr and former WEC/Formula E champion Sebastien Buemi to the top of their motorsports.

- The latest crop are another exciting bunch with no less than five juniors lining up in Formula 2 for the upcoming 2022 season looking to follow Oscar Piastri of Australia as the series champion.

- Indian Jehan Daruvala, 23, managed to win at Monza last season on his way to seventh in the drivers' standings as the 23-year-old from Mumbai looks to impress again in his third F2 season.

- New Zealander Liam Lawson, 19, fell just three points short of winning the 2021 DTM title for Red Bull AF Corse and he will be keen to improve on his ninth place overall in F2 when he undertakes his second campaign.

- Estonian Jüri Vips, 21, starts his third Formula 2 title tilt with a sixth-place finish overall behind him, which included back-to-back Baku wins midway through the season.

- They are joined by Norwegian Dennis Hauger - who won the 2021 Formula 3 champion aged just 18 - and Japanese racer Ayumu Iwasa, 20, who made a rapid transition through F3 last season after winning the French F4 Championship in 2020.

- Also a step short of F1 is Super Formula in Japan where Ren Sato, 20, makes his debut after finishing third in Japanese Super Formula Lights.

- A stage further back are 16-year-old American Jak Crawford and Briton Jonny Edgar, 17, who will compete in their second F3 year and are joined by French-Algerian driver Isack Hadjar, 17, with both Crawford and Hadjar starting their seasons with F3 Asia before the European championship.

- Early in the their open wheel careers, Japanese pair Yuto Nomura and Souta Arao will contest French F4 and British karting star Arvid Lindblad also steps up to F4 when he turns 15 in August.

- Finally Mexican Noel León, 17, contests the Formula Regional European Championship, after winning the F4 Honda US Championship last year.

2022 DRIVERS

Jüri Vips – 10 August 2000 – Estonia – Formula 2 – HitechGP
Liam Lawson – 11 February 2002 – New Zealand – Formula 2 – Carlin
Jehan Daruvala – 1 October 1998 – India – Formula 2 – Prema
Dennis Hauger – 17 March 2003 – Norway – Formula 2 – Prema
Ayumu Iwasa – 22 September 2001 – Japan – Formula 2 – DAMS
Jonny Edgar – 13 February 2004 – Great Britain – Formula 3 – Trident
Jak Crawford – 2 May 2005 – USA – Formula 3 & F3 Asia – Prema
Isack Hadjar – 28 September 2004 – France – Formula 3 & F3 Asia – HitechGP
Souta Arao – 18 December 2005 – Japan – French F4 – FFSA Academy
Yuto Nomura – 12 November 2005 – Japan – French F4 – FFSA Academy
Arvid Lindblad – 4 August 2007 – Sweden – F4 – Van Amersfoort
Noel León – 21 December 2004 – Mexico – Formula Regional EU – Arden