Max Verstappen is sure that both him and Aston Martin Red Bull Racing will “definitely” be ready to challenge for the 2019 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
The 21-year old will be heading into his fifth year in Formula 1 but is uncertain of whether Red Bull‘s 2019 car will be vying for the title.
The Austrian outfit may have a history of winning titles, but it remains to be seen of whether their new engine marriage with Honda can deliver similar results.
Red Bull have been working hard alongside Honda to make sure they can get the most out of the power unit, adamant it was the most improved engine over Ferrari, Renault and Mercedes in the 2018 FIA Formula 1 World Championship.
Should the marriage work out, there is every hope that Verstappen can finally take the title fight to Scuderia Ferrari Mission Winnow and Mercedes AMG Petronas Motorsport this year.
“I think I can because I’ve done four seasons now, and Lewis, for example, was fighting for a championship in his first season,” Verstappen said to PlanetF1.
“Are you ready for it? You’re not sure.
“Was he? Maybe yes, maybe not. But once you have that car underneath you, you are definitely going for it.
“I think it’s never 100 percent clear if somebody’s ready or not.
“As soon as you have that car you’ve just got to drive it as fast as you can and if it’s the fastest car in the grid you are normally winning races or you are second.”
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Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel, who have won nine drivers’ titles between them, tip Verstappen to be a future World Champion.
“Max has been driving very well throughout the year and has shown his consistency and has been up here many, many times with us,” said Hamilton.
“So if his team does the job and delivers a platform with which he can compete even closer with us, then of course he’ll be in the fight.”
Vettel echoed Hamilton’s thoughts,“He’s got all the ingredients. I think there’s a couple of guys out there who have these qualities and Max is certainly one of them. Yeah, I think we’ve seen that.”
