Max Verstappen says Toro Rosso is the perfect place to spend his formative years in F1 because there is more time to learn lessons and gain experience than there would be at Red Bull.
Verstappen, 17, became F1's youngest-ever driver at the start of this season and has enjoyed an impressive start to his career. However, his lack of experience was pointed out by Felipe Massa after his heavy shunt with Lotus' Romain Grosjean last weekend, with the Brazilian labelling Verstappen "dangerous".
But Verstappen thinks Toro Rosso is the perfect stomping ground for a rookie.
"We are rookie drivers so when we make mistakes, they forgive you," Verstappen said on the Wednesday before the Monaco race, referring to himself and team-mate Carlos Sainz. "But going to Red Bull, you can't make those mistakes, so it's good to stay here.
"It's good for me to start here and get more experience and try and improve myself all the time. I've learnt a lot of lessons and so far I'm happy with how things are going. It's important I have a lot of experience here first because that will make you successful in a top team."
Daniil Kvyat made the step from Toro Rosso to Red Bull after just one season and eased pressure on himself in Monaco with the best finish of his career. Verstappen thinks Kvyat's struggles before Monaco highlight the difficulty of making such a jump.
"He's having a bit of a hard time, so it's not easy. Just one year at Toro Rosso to go to Red Bull and have a competitive team-mate like Daniel [Ricciardo], it's difficult. He'll get better but I'm happy with where I am now."