Verstappen the heir apparent

– Max Verstappen (above) is the driver five-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel will fear the most this season, his Red Bull team boss Christian Horner said on Tuesday.

The 21-year-old Dutchman won two races last year, with a third victory snatched from his grasp after a collision while leading in Brazil, and he ended the season fourth overall.

Hamilton, now 34, won 11 races for Mercedes on his way to the title, while four-time world champion Vettel, 31, was runner-up with five wins.

“Max, if you look at his performance in the second half of the [last] year, was the second-highest points scorer to Lewis,” Horner told reporters. “I don’t think he lacks anything that they have, if we can provide him the tools to do the job. I think he’s probably the driver that they fear the most.”

Verstappen was the sport’s youngest driver when he made his debut with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso as a 17-year-old and, at 18, became the youngest winner at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.

Horner said he saw Verstappen as heir apparent.

“I think his maturity has increased, we saw that during the course of last year. He’s just much more rounded through experience,” said the Briton. “He’s just more worldly, more experienced, he’s just in a better place to be able to deal with the pressures that are placed on him.”

Verstappen hit the headlines after Brazil, when he was ordered to do two days of public service for shoving French driver Esteban Ocon after the collision.

He did one day by accompanying the stewards at a Formula E race in Morocco last month.

“He came back and went, ‘Crikey, these guys have got difficult decisions to make. Whether you penalise or not.’

“I think that was actually a useful exercise for him to see the other side of the fence,” said Horner.

Red Bull have a new partnership with Honda this year after more than a decade with Renault, whose engines powered them to four successive driver and constructor title doubles between 2010-13. – Reuters

London

Crikey, these guys have got difficult decisions to make. Whether you penalise or not...

Max Verstappen, on Formula E stewards’ job