Based on his current form, Max Verstappen is "the best driver in the world" according to Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
Verstappen conquered in Austria his sixth career win in F1, refreshingly breaking the clean 2019 track record of the mighty Mercedes squad.
As Red Bull-Honda ramps up its performance level, Verstappen is coming into his own, the de facto leader of the Milton Keynes-based outfit since Daniel Ricciardo's departure.
"Daniel is such a big character, with a big sense of humour," Horner said, speaking in London ahead of this weekend's British Grand Prix.
"And Max always outside of the car came a little bit within Daniel's shadow and was the jokey younger brother.
"Since Daniel has left, Max has assumed the role of the senior driver within the team and the responsibility that goes with that.
"There's a different level of maturity, of direction and sense of purpose with him. That has really rounded the package with him."
And the 'rounding' and personal development of Max Verstappen - still only 21-years-old - has now put the Dutchman at the top of F1's pyramid of talent argues Horner.
"As the driver in the form of his life, arguably over the past 12 months, he's been the best driver in the world," added the Red Bull Racing chief.
"How do I substantiate that? He's not in the best car. But when you look at the results he's got out of that car since Montreal last year, some of the performances he's put in, he's made virtually zero mistakes in that period.
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"It's only natural that there's always the next generation coming. Lewis [Hamilton] has got the benefit of experience, he's still extremely quick, he's in the best car, in a very well-oiled machine.
"Max is very much the coming man. Wouldn't it be fantastic for the sport to see those guys go head-to-head?
"Max is a big asset for us and we’ve got to deliver him a car that he can compete for the world championship with."
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