Ferrari’s Sebastian Vettel has admitted he has been impressed with both Scuderia Toro Rosso newcomers Carlos Sainz and Max Verstappen.
Verstappen and Sainz sit 12th and 15th respectively in the drivers’ championship going into the last race of the season in Abu Dhabi, with the former enjoying a run of six consecutive points finishes, a record for Toro Rosso.
Verstappen, who many questioned at the beginning of the season whether he was capable of competing in F1 at such a young age, has quashed any doubters with a string of spectacular performances, including fourth place finishes in the Hungarian and United States Grands Prix.
Spaniard Sainz has also shown promise at Red Bull’s sister team, however a string of poor reliability, including at the Brazilian GP, have distorted his standing within the championship table.
Four-time world champion Vettel, who raced for Toro Rosso in 2007 and ’08, praised both drivers for their performance this year and singled out Verstappen as a future rival for championship titles.
“Carlos and Max have done a very good job, those two stood out this season,” the former Red Bull driver said.
“Max has been a surprise because he’s been very aggressive, sometimes too aggressive. But in the end, he has done a very good season so far, he has had two fourth places.
“He is one to be up there in the future. With his age, he has a lot of time. I’m sure he’ll make us worried, the older generation, which I’m part of now.”
Verstappen has also caught the eye of both Ferrari and Mercedes, who are rumoured to be chasing the Dutchman’s signature to join their works outfit.
Red Bull, however, has warned off any potential interest from other teams, with boss Christian Horner reaffirming that the 18-year old is on a long-term contract with the energy drinks firm.
“As with all Red Bull junior drivers, they’re all contracted to Red Bull Racing. They’re on loan to Toro Rosso until they graduate, if they’re good enough, to the main Formula 1 team,” Horner told Sky Sports News.
“Max is no different to that, so there’s no timescale attached to that.
“I’m not going to divulge the contents of his agreement other than to say that it’s a multiple-year agreement and it would be premature to be talking about him driving anything other than a Red Bull-owned car in the next few years.”
