Verstappen pressures Red Bull to deliver winning car

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Max Verstappen isn't a happy camper this year, his season dogged by reliability issues at Red Bull and falling well short of expectations.

The teenager's mercurial rise to prominence, marked by his first F1 win last year at just 18-years-old, led the Dutchman to believe that he would be contending for a world championship title with Red Bull Racing in 2017.

But a lack of speed of the team's RB13 in the early part of the season coupled with mechanical issues associated with his Renault-powered engine have left Verstappen frustrated.

While his father Jos Verstappen reiterated his son's commitment to Red Bull, trashing once again rumors of a move to Ferrari, he also insisted that the pressure was now on the Milton Keynes team to deliver a winning car.

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"Max wants to become a champion and he will do anything to win," Jos said.

"Right now he does not have such an opportunity, but he uses this year to become stronger.

"Next year, it is clear what our goals are," Verstappen senior added.

"We want to win, and if this does not happen, the situation will become more complicated."

Patience is a virtue they say, so Max Verstappen has no choice but to wait for better days and Red Bull's improvement, a difficult exercise for a young charger accustomed to winning.

"At the moment Max cannot do anything. He is doing everything right, and he feels good in his skin, but he just wants to win," explained Jos.

"That's what you notice about Max. The disappointment that he cannot win, which is why he has had some problems. He has never experienced that before."

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Phillip van Osten

Motor racing was a backdrop from the outset in Phillip van Osten's life. Born in Southern California, Phillip grew up with the sights and sounds of fast cars thanks to his father, Dick van Osten, an editor and writer for Auto Speed and Sport and Motor Trend. Phillip's passion for racing grew even more when his family moved to Europe and he became acquainted with the extraordinary world of Grand Prix racing. He was an early contributor to the monthly French F1i Magazine, often providing a historic or business perspective on Formula 1's affairs. In 2012, he co-authored along with fellow journalist Pierre Van Vliet the English-language adaptation of a limited edition book devoted to the great Belgian driver Jacky Ickx. He also authored "The American Legacy in Formula 1", a book which recounts the trials and tribulations of American drivers in Grand Prix racing. Phillip is also a commentator for Belgian broadcaster Be.TV for the US Indycar series.