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Brawn: Verstappen has hallmarks of future champion

Published on 20 Sep 2018 10:12
4
By: Fergal Walsh

Formula 1's sporting director Ross Brawn admits he's been left impressed by Max Verstappen's recent performances, stating that the Dutchman put in an "impeccable" performance last time out in Singapore.

Verstappen qualified on the front row for the race, getting the better of both Ferraris, a Mercedes and his teammate. After losing P2 to Sebastian Vettel at the start of the race, the 20-year-old regained the spot during the pit stop phase of the race, which he held until the chequered flag.

Verstappen didn't have an easy start to the season, getting himself involved in a number of on-track incidents with his rivals. But Brawn says the four-time Grand Prix winner has matured greatly and is now showing his potential as a future champion.

“The young Dutchman squeezed every last drop of performance out of his Red Bull, first when he unexpectedly put it on the front row on Saturday and then on Sunday with an impeccable drive that showed real maturity,” Brawn said.

"He even managed to close on Hamilton when they came up behind traffic, but even then he avoided unnecessary risks, perhaps aware that he didn’t have a real chance of winning. It shows that the Dutchman has all the hallmarks of a future champion.

“It's not enough to just produce phenomenal performances in some races if others are marred by silly mistakes, but more and more of Verstappen's races are characterised by not just prodigious pace but also composure.”

Red Bull has not produced a title contending car since the 2013 season, and Brawn has called on the energy drink squad to make the improvements to allow Verstappen to challenge.

“Max is growing in stature and he now needs a car with which he can always fight for victory, not just in certain situations,” he said. “Even if Red Bull is a relatively young team, it has shown through their past success that they know how to do that.”

F1 News Max Verstappen Lewis Hamilton Sebastian Vettel Mercedes

Replies (4)

talktohenry

Posts: 362
Old news...........
- + 0
- Sep 20 2018 - 10:39
calle.itw

Posts: 8,527
Plenty of drivers have had those, but didnt make it to the top. Time will tell if Red Bull will be able to provide him with titles, or will be a cage in which his career will rot and perish inside of.
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- Sep 20 2018 - 17:03
- boudy
  
  Posts: 1,168
  From what I have heard there is an escape clause inside the contract from Verstappen's point of view. However I don't think it will come that far, Honda is improving and their power doesn't have to be a Ferrari beater but it just needs to be close enough.
  + 0
  
  Sep 20 2018 - 18:33
- calle.itw
  
  Posts: 8,527
  I hope he do, but seeing as how involved Marko is in his contraction Im not sure how water proof that clause is. And I hope Honda will take a decent leap next year, but we can only speculate. Right now they only talk in terms of on par with Renault, and that wont really cut it, long term.
  + 0
  
  Sep 20 2018 - 20:36