15-year-old Dutch F4 star Richard Verschoor has joined the Red Bull Junior Team.

The rising star from Benshop, competes this weekend in the Northern European Zone F4 Championship round at Zandvoort.

One of the reasons for his invitation to join the Junior Team was his superb performance at the opening round in Sochi where he qualified on pole and won Race 1 at the start of his first open wheel season.

Along with his F4 campaign for MP Motorsport he will also contest selected races in the ADAC Formula 4 series where he will be a member of Team Motopark.

Naturally enough Verschoor is thrilled to have the chance to be part of the Junior Team. "It's an amazing opportunity, a to go a lot further than you can on your own," said.

"We didn't expect this and the possibility of taking a path to F1 wasn't even the reason I started racing. I started karting because my dad worked so hard I didn't see much of him and that was a way of doing something together and it worked out very well.

"He looked after my karts for the first two years until I started racing internationally. He still comes to the races when he can and supports me of course."

The start of the F4 season has exceeded expectations. "Testing went well but we all know racing is different. There's a lot to learn but actually it came together quite quick and it was cool to win the first race that's for sure."

He can't wait for his second outing. "It's nice to race at home, a lot of friends and supporters will be at Zandvoort, I've tested the F4 car there and that went well but never raced."

"I'm quite optimistic that we can do a really good job. I need to because I am 18 points behind in the championship." That was after an incident in Race 2 in Sochi as he explains. "I tried to go around the outside of the leader but at the end of the corner he spun and took me out as well. That's racing."