ROTTERDAM, Netherlands - Max Verstappen has accepted the blame for crashing during his first public run in a Formula 1 car.
All eyes were on the 16-year-old, given his recent controversial appointment as a 2015 Toro Rosso driver, as he nearly - and then really - crashed into a track barrier while showing off in a Red Bull car during a street event in Rotterdam, Netherlands during the weekend of August 30/31 2014.
'IT'S A LEARNING PROCESS'
Verstappen, quoted by the newspaper De Telegraaf, said: "No excuses. Guilty. I was late with the clutch in the anti-stall system."
His (relatively minor) crash happened during a third donut-laden lap of the Rotterdam layout.
VIDEO: Max Verstappen crashes F1 car
He said: "Twice it went fantastically, one time there was a mistake. It's a learning process but after everything, this is what I've always wanted - to drive an F1 car."
Toro Rosso intends to use the teenager during Friday practice sessions later in the 2014 season if he's granted a superlicence.
How not to make a public F1 run: Click on the gif below to watch the video