Verstappen and Vettel very much alike - Horner

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Red Bull Racing boss Christian Horner showed no restraint yesterday as he praised Max Verstappen for his Malaysia GP win.

The young Dutch prodigy trounced the opposition in Sepang to secure his second F1 victory and become the sport's youngest driver to record two race wins.

"A great performance by the whole team and fantastic to see Max get a well-deserved victory, after enduring so much bad luck throughout the season," Horner said.

"I said when Max’s luck would change it would change in a dramatic way and it’s difficult to believe the last time he was on the podium was at the beginning of April in China.

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"He drove a truly dominant race, making a sensational pass on Lewis and then really controlling the race from there."

Indeed, Verstappen appeared to take a leaf out of Hamilton's book of racing with his master class performance.

Yet Horner sees more similarities with Sebastian Vettel, a man who brought four world titles to Red Bull Racing.

"Max is a very different character to Sebastian but what you see in standout drivers, you see similarities.

"Where Sebastian was very strong under big pressure moments, Max has that ability too. He was so cool leading the Grand Prix. He was the coolest guy out there.

"You see under pressure he is really delivering at a massive level, and this year his performances, particularly on a Saturday, have been massively impressive.

"We know that Daniel [Ricciardo] is one of the best, so to have the two of them pushing each other the way that they are is a dream situation for the team."

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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.