Failure not an option for Red Bull, if Verstappen is to stay - Button

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Jenson Button believes Red Bull and Honda will need to deliver a winning package this year, or risk losing perhaps its greatest asset: Max Verstappen.

Red Bull Racing has opted to ditch its long-lasting engine supplier Renault for a new partnership with Honda that will begin in 2019.

While no one is expecting fireworks at the outset from the pair, the Milton Keynes-based outfit will need to remain a consistent front-runner, or Verstappen could look for greener pastures elsewhere says newly recruited Sky F1 pundit Jenson Button.

Gasly makes his intentions clear to Verstappen

"It's tricky with Max," the former F1 driver told Sky Sports News.

"He's always moving forward and he's always looking for something else. He jumps into a Red Bull and he wins his first race.

"This year is a really important year for him to keep it moving.

"He has to be fighting for the championship or l think he will start asking questions about where he should be in the future."

Button is hoping for another thrilling three-way fight at the front between Mercedes, Ferrari and Red Bull. A battle perhaps enhanced by Formula 1's rule changes for 2019, reckons Button.

"There are so many changes in the sport at the moment and that's exactly what the sport needs," Button said.

"I think we will have three teams battling at the front and, if we do, there will be some fantastic fights."

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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.