Max Verstappen wants 2016 podium

Max Verstappen has joined his boss Franz Tost in targeting a podium for 2016.

After Toro Rosso chief Tost set the podium objective recently, team driver Carlos Sainz said that he doubted the Faenza-based outfit can achieve it.

Teenager Verstappen, however, is aiming higher than Sainz.

"[The podium] is the goal. If you have had fourth places in the first year, the podium is the next step," he told De Telegraaf.

With his audacious overtaking moves, Verstappen was a surprise standout of 2015. However, that tenacity also landed him in trouble, attracting penalty points against his licence amid the spectre of a potential race ban.

"The penalty points system is a bit strange," Max said. "I got quite a lot of honours after last season which is a sign that I did something well, so what do they want me to do?

"Anyway, I can't change it and I certainly will not take a different approach to racing."

However, Verstappen may not need to be quite so audacious in 2016, as he is expecting more power from Toro Rosso's 2015-spec Ferrari engine.