Mateschitz compares Verstappen to Senna

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Red Bull billionaire Dietrich Mateschitz believes young prodigy Max Verstappen may turn out to be just as formidable as the legendary Ayrton Senna.

In an interview with Spanish newspaper Marca, the Austrian praised Verstappen's talent and performance while insisting his full potential still remains to be fulfilled.

Asked whether he could be compared to the great Ayrton Senna, Mateschitz said he could.

"If you consider his natural talent, his mental strength and the courage he has shown in the races, then yes," said the 72-year-old.

"But he also needs to be capable of keeping his speed, his skills and his strength up for a period of several years. Nobody knows if that will happen, but we believe he has the potential."

But Mateschitz also underlined the achievements of Toro Rosso's Carlos Sainz, although he acknowledged the Italian team's current form did not do justice to the young Spanish driver's talent.

"Carlos is a great sportsman, with a great personality, charisma and talent. His problem is that with Max and Daniel we already have two great drivers at Red Bull, and the performance of the Toro Rosso is not strong enough to challenge the leading drivers at Mercedes and Red Bull.

"I firmly believe that it will be good for Carlos to stay with our rookie team next another year, especially since we hope to improve significantly the performance of the car."

Last year, in the wake of a bitter dispute between Red Bull and engine supplier Renault, the energy drink company threatened to pull out of Formula 1 if it lacked a competitive power unit.

But Mateschitz said the threat at the time was not a serious one.

"Really, we never thought about it. Although, in theory, there were always circumstances that could have made us go down that route, like for example, the obvious case of not having been able to secure a power unit supplier."

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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.