Ross Brawn believes a maturing Max Verstappen has tempered his on-track boldness, but without losing any of his speed or aggression.
Verstappen endured a difficult start to his 2018 season following a series of incidents and mistakes that required a reset of his approach, with more discipline and a little less willingness for risk.
Stabilisation and more consistent results ensued, the Dutchman winning in Austria and Mexico, and outscoring team mate Daniel Ricciardo in the Driver's championship.
The Aussie's departure has left the 21-year-old as Red Bull's de facto team leader for 2019 alongside new recruit Pierre Gasly, a role that should allow Verstappen to flourish says Brawn.
"It's easy to forget how young he is," says F1's sporting manager.
"If you think of yourself at that age, with the exposure and pressure, what he is doing is pretty special.
"What we are seeing with Max is a great maturing of his approach, losing none of his speed and aggression but just being a bit more tempered in terms of how he attacks things.
"In the right car and right team, he's world champion material for sure. Max will be the known reference in the team in 2019."
©WRI
Indeed, thanks to his experience relative to his team mate Verstappen will carry the bulk of his team's weight next season.
"That is always helpful in a team to have that continuity, if you have a troublesome car or you have some things to sort out, knowing the driver, knowing how to qualify what he says is very helpful.
"So, I think it is great for the team," Brawn concluded.
Gallery: The beautiful wives and girlfriends of F1 drivers
Keep up to date with all the F1 news via Facebook and Twitter
