Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has hailed Max Verstappen's likeness to four-time champion Sebastian Vettel after the 18-year-old became Formula One's youngest-ever winner with a sensational victory in Sunday's Spanish Grand Prix.
Verstappen displayed maturity way beyond his formative years to hold off the challenge from Ferrari's Kimi Raikkonen at Barcelona's Circuit de Catalunya and complete a historic victory in his very first race for Red Bull.
"There an awful lot of similarities from when Sebastian joined the team," said Horner, who oversaw Vettel's four consecutive championship triumphs between 2010 and 2013.
"The mechanics were telling me that even the way he gets in the car is similar, the same side, and the way he pulls his knee up to get in the chassis. But he's his own man as well and he's a very together young guy. You'd never think he was 18.
"He's been quick, measured and mature. He's defended incredibly well against a seasoned pro like Kimi and to score his first grand prix victory, becoming the youngest victor on his debut for the team, is fairytale stuff."
Horner, 42 then joked: "He's the first driver I've had that legally I could be his father."
Cynics questioned Red Bull's decision to fast-track Verstappen into the sport when it was announced that he would make his debut as a 17-year-old for Toro Rosso.
Indeed the FIA, the sport's governing body, promptly moved to set the minimum age for a driver competing in Formula One to 18.
But Verstappen quickly proved his critics wrong with a number of eye-catching displays last term before landing a sensational promotion to Red Bull just four races into the new season.
"The biggest aspect of his performance has been in calmness," Horner added. " He's obviously got a lot of capacity when he's driving the car. We were all getting tense with five laps to go because the tyres were at the end of their life and he had Kimi breathing down his neck.
"But it's been an unbelievable performance, from the moment Max stepped into the car until the chequered flag he's been exemplary. He's not put a wheel wrong."
Verstappen eclipsed Vettel's record as Formula One's youngest-ever winner, set at the 2008 Italian Grand Prix, by two years and 137 days. And Vettel, who finished third on Sunday, paid tribute to the Red Bull youngster.
"It's very special to win your first race and it's his day," said Vettel. "He deserves it. He did a great race.
"Records are there to be broken. I was so excited when I won my first race that I didn't care if I was 20 or 25 or whatever age. If you're quick enough, you belong here so I don't think age matters."
Source: PA
