Max Verstappen says he will not let himself get distracted by the glamour surrounding F1 in order to ensure he has a successful career.

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The 17-year-old Scuderia Toro Rosso driver has impressed in his rookie season so far, but also came in for criticism following an incident with Romain Grosjean in Monaco. Taking part in a joint interview with Bernie Ecclestone, Verstappen says he is determined to make sure his F1 career is a long one.

Asked if he’d rather go for dinner with Ecclestone than a gorgeous woman, Verstappen replied: “One hundred percent.

“You cannot learn much from the latter that has value in F1 – but you can learn a lot from Bernie. He has built this sport and is one of the most successful businessmen in the world. My career is more important than girls. You have only one chance here – and I am going to take it!”

And Verstappen told Ecclestone he feels F1 is too technical and drivers should have less information when in the car.

“Even for us young drivers the amount of technical stuff is too much. I would say that right now only 20 percent is occupied with racing, and the vast majority of the remaining 80 percent with watching over the technical stuff.

“Do you know what I do to escape that? I tell my engineers that they should not overload me with information. We are getting way too much info in the cockpit. Sometimes I switch off the display in my car! I want to rely on my gut feeling. Isn’t that what made great race drivers in the end?”