Verstappen's Singapore GP composure shows he’s maturing – Brawn

Formula 1 sporting chief Ross Brawn says Max Verstappen’s ‘prodigious pace but also composure’ at the Singapore Grand Prix continues to demonstrate his credentials as a future world champion.

Having started the 2018 F1 season with six high-profile incidents over the opening six races, Verstappen has produced stronger consistency over the middle third of the campaign which continued at the Marian Bay Street Circuit with an impressive second place.

After edging out Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel to secure a front-row start in qualifying, Verstappen battled back during the pit stop phase to retake second place from the German driver for his best finish since winning the Austrian Grand Prix.

F1's managing director of motorsport has been impressed by the Dutch driver’s resurgence and feels he outperformed his Red Bull car without overstepping the limits to maximise his results.

“The young Dutchman squeezed every last drop of performance out of his Red Bull, first when he unexpectedly put it on the front row on Saturday and then on Sunday with an impeccable drive that showed real maturity,” Brawn said in the post-race F1 release.

“He even managed to close on Hamilton when they came up behind traffic, but even then he avoided unnecessary risks, perhaps aware that he didn’t have a real chance of winning.

“It shows that the Dutchman has all the hallmarks of a future champion.

“It's not enough to just produce phenomenal performances in some races if others are marred by silly mistakes, but more and more Verstappen's race are characterised by not just prodigious pace but also composure.”

Brawn also appeared to call upon Red Bull to improve its package to provide Verstappen with car capable of fighting for F1 world titles against Mercedes and Ferrari.

“Max is growing in stature and he now needs a car with which he can always fight for victory, not just in certain situations,” he said. “Even if Red Bull is a relatively young team, it has shown through their past success that they know how to do that.”

Red Bull will switch to Honda power from 2019 after ending its partnership with Renault. The Japanese engine manufacturer started supplying sister team Toro Rosso this year with Red Bull bosses impressed by the power unit progress produced.