Verstappen must learn from mistakes - Brawn

Max Verstappen must learn from his mistakes if he is to become a world champion, according to Formula 1 motorsport boss Ross Brawn.

The Red Bull driver endured a frustrating Mexican Grand Prix, having been stripped of his stunning pole position effort for failing to slow for yellow flags triggered by Valtteri Bottas’ huge crash at the end of Q3.

Verstappen then clashed with Lewis Hamilton at Turn 2 and dropped down the order, before a further collision while attempting to pass Bottas led to a puncture that ultimately ruined his race. He recovered strongly from the back of the grid to finish sixth.

The first-lap incident with Hamilton prompted the current world championship leader to label him as a “magnet” to accidents, admitting he takes a different approach when racing wheel-to-wheel with the Dutchman compared to other drivers.

“Max made a few mistakes that cost him dearly, starting on Saturday when he ignored yellow flags following Valtteri Bottas’ Q3 crash, and afterwards blatantly admitting that he had not reduced his speed,” Brawn said.

“Then, on Sunday, the red mist came down on the first lap as he tangled with Hamilton in Turn 2 after the start.

“To make matters worse he picked up a puncture following a somewhat ambitious move past Bottas in the stadium section a few laps later. And that was pretty much that.

“There will be little consolation in his spirited fight back to sixth from P20 that involved a marathon 66-lap stint on hard tyres. The Dutchman showed his age or lack of it. He’s still only 22 and so there is plenty of room for improvement.

“The important thing is to learn from one’s mistakes, which applies even if you’re 50 but perhaps a little more so at 22.

“You have to win the ones you should win and the ones you shouldn’t as demonstrated by Lewis - that is how you become a world champion.”