When it was announced that Max Verstappen would make his Formula One debut at the tender age of just 17, some viewed his appointment as nothing more than an outrageous publicity stunt.
Indeed such was the hoo-hah that greeted his arrival in the sport, the minimum age of an F1 driver was subsequently raised to 18.
But fast-forward 12 months, and the Dutchman's startling breakthrough season with Toro Rosso has left the paddock purring about a potential Formula One champion in the making.
Ferrari are said to be interested in Verstappen, who turned 18 only in September, while Red Bull boss Christian Horner has said he will be a contender for a seat for his team in 2017.
Here, Press Association Sport looks at how the young Dutchman's first season in Formula One compares to those of Sebastian Vettel, the four-time world champion, and this season's title winner Lewis Hamilton.
LEWIS HAMILTON
Signed by McLaren chairman Ron Dennis as a 13-year-old child prodigy, Lewis Hamilton was thrust into the Formula One spotlight eight years later.
The Briton was expected to play second fiddle to Fernando Alonso after the Spaniard had recently joined McLaren following back-to-back title triumphs with Renault.
But Hamilton stunned his team-mate, and the world of Formula One, after he fell just one point shy of winning the championship in his debut year.
In the McLaren MP4-22, Hamilton had the grid's best car at his disposal, but his stunning performances, which went way beyond his tender years, forced Alonso into quitting the team and set an almost unbeatable benchmark for newcomers to the sport.
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Sebastian Vettel already had eight races under his belt by the time he started his first full season in the sport with Toro Rosso in 2008.
But the German, competing in the largely uncompetitive Toro Rosso, turned in a number of impressive displays to earn a promotion to the Red Bull team for the following campaign.
Vettel secured a shock pole at the Italian Grand Prix before going on to win the race - to date, Toro Rosso's only victory - to become the sport's youngest winner at 21 years and 73 days - a record that still stands.
The German is also the youngest F1 champion after winning the first of his four consecutive titles in 2010.
MAX VERSTAPPEN
The son of Jos Verstappen - the team-mate of Michael Schumacher at Benetton in the mid-nineties - Max Verstappen became the youngest driver to start a Formula One race after making his debut in Australia, aged only 17.
He subsequently finished fourth on two occasions - in Hungary and America - but special praise must be reserved for his drive in Singapore where he stormed from last to eighth at a circuit widely considered as the toughest - both physically and mentally - on the calendar.
With an impressive haul of 49 points - 31 more than his Toro Rosso team-mate Carlos Sainz - Verstappenn is now thought of as the most promising young driver since Hamilton and Vettel.
And surely it will not be long before he is competing with the both of them for race wins and championships.
First season statistics comparison:
LEWIS HAMILTON
Season: 2007
McLaren MP4-22
Races: 17
Wins: 4
Podiums: 12
Finishes 16
DNFs: 1
Top 10 finishes: 16
SEBASTIAN VETTEL
Season: 2008
Car: Toro Rosso STR2/Toro Rosso STR2B
Races: 18
wins: 1
Podiums: 1
Finishes: 11
DNFs: 7
Top 10-finishes: 8
MAX VERSTAPPEN
Season: 2015
Toro Rosso STR10
Races: 19
Wins: 0
Podiums: 0
Finishes: 14
DNFs: 5
Top 10 finishes: 10
Source: PA-WIRE
