Is Verstappen risking his F1 future?

Max Verstappen did himself no favours with his expletive-laden outbursts over the radio to his Toro Rosso team during the Australian Grand Prix.

Racing drivers want to win so frustration at some point is inevitable. But it's how you channel that frustration that is important. And it is here that Verstappen must be careful.

He's hot property after an impressive debut season. Red Bull has him tied up until the end of 2017. He's also on the radar for Mercedes and Ferrari. But if Melbourne is a glimpse of what is to come, that will not go down well with the people he is trying to impress.

Verstappen's performances last season, particularly in Hungary and the United States, proved he is talented. The Dutchman is also evolving quickly as a personality. He was quiet, shy even when he made his debut last year but by mid-season he had settled in and began being more open with his views and opinions. His approach on the racetrack loosened up, too.

But in doing so, he racked up eight penalty points, and 12 in 12 months will lead to a race ban. There were times where he showed his ruthless side, such as refusing to move over for team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr in Singapore despite the requests of the pitwall. It's ironic, then, that he should get so frustrated when his calls for Sainz to do the same for him fell on deaf ears in Australia.

There was no reason why Sainz should have moved over for him. Drivers should overtake if they are quick enough, not have someone move out of the way because they feel they are quicker.

Sainz was resolute in trying to keep his position while trying to find a way past slower cars in front that were on a different strategy. He, too, has something to prove this season. He and Verstappen are unlikely to both be able to keep their seats at Toro Rosso for a third season. Especially with Red Bull junior Pierre Gasly waiting in the wings.

The fury in Australia began when Verstappen found himself behind Sainz, after his team-mate was called in ahead of him. Toro Rosso chief Franz Tost said Sainz had a lot of front-wheel locking so was called in earlier than planned. Verstappen was furious because he had superior track position so felt he should have pitted first.

There's nothing wrong with voicing your opinion but there are ways and means of doing so. What is unforgivable, though, is taking matters into your own hands and choosing to pit when you want to. That's what Verstappen did. It caught the team off-guard and did not go down well with his bosses.

The driver does not know how the race is panning out around him so is not in a position to decide alone when to stop. It puts the result at risk.

Verstappen lost around seven seconds, which left him behind Sainz and another train of slower cars. The red mist thickened. The expletive-filled radio messages continued.

A team spends time working out the best strategy to maximise the result, so when a driver pits because he fancies it and that criticises the team in public for the situation he finds himself in, it obviously won't go down well. Describing Toro Rosso's strategy as "a joke", when it did not let him pass Sainz, was ill-advised.

The frustration eventually boiled over and he made a mistake, tapping his team-mate and spinning. Both escaped unscathed and secured some points. But this result could have been so much better for the team. Verstappen, with a calm and measured race, could have ended up in a battle with Felipe Massa's Williams for fifth.

That would have been a huge result for Toro Rosso. The team has conceded it will struggle to keep pace later in the season with its 2015-spec Ferrari engine as rivals receive developments for their '16 units. So every point is precious. It was frustrating, then, that Verstappen picked up a solitary point when it could - and should - have been so much better.

Of course, Melbourne is one race of 21 and may well turn into a blip. Verstappen is only 18 and this is just his second F1 season (and only his third in car racing). He has a mere 20 grands prix under his belt.

Verstappen's fast track into Formula 1 means he lacks the experience of working with a team, understanding the nuances that get the best out of your crew and learning that the whole outfit's interests are just as important as your own. So allowances must be made. But for how long?

Gone are the days of drivers being eased into F1 with plenty of miles of testing and time to fully embed themselves in a team. Such is the competition for places, particularly from drivers who bring backing, that you have to deliver straight away or you're out, no matter how old you are.

You may be marked out as a star of the future, but a few bad races or a wrong move on the career ladder and your chance at the big time could be over. There's a long list of drivers who will attest to that.

Red Bull takes an efficient and ruthless approach to its driver recruitment and Verstappen faces real competition from Sainz, who handled himself well in Australia and has consistently showed he's a team player.

After a 2015 season marred with unreliability, Sainz knows it's important for his future in F1 that he gets points on the board early and then remains consistent. That's just what he did in the first race of this year, no matter what was going on around him.

He kept his head and played the team game. He refused to blame Verstappen for the contact. His answers were succinct and sincere. He seemed unflappable. It almost felt like he didn't know what all the fuss was about. That's a daunting opponent for Verstappen to go up against.

Toro Rosso cannot afford for sparks to fly on a consistent basis. There will no doubt be a few firm words handed out behind closed doors to ensure respect not only towards the team but also between team-mates.

Verstappen is one of the keys to next year's driver market but he will need to learn from the mistakes in the Australian GP if he is to have a chance of promotion to Red Bull's senior squad or a rival in years to come.

Teams will be turned off by the attitude displayed in Melbourne. No driver is bigger than the team. Harmony is important. He must keep his temper in check and learn to trust the team.

You could argue there was an element of paranoia behind his decision to pit of his own accord. Perhaps he felt Toro Rosso was giving his team-mate priority. That is a possible conclusion in the heat of battle but in reality, very unlikely.

He must also be prepared to learn from Sainz, three years his senior, particularly in the way he interacts with his mechanics and engineers.

There is no way of cutting corners to catch up on the significant experience deficit to his rivals. Fortunately Verstappen has the speed. He just needs to develop the right attitude to go with it - and fast.