How Honda makes Verstappen even more of a threat

Threats to headbutt people, shoving contests or a consistent defiance in the face of overwhelming reason are not particularly mature anecdotes. They may be the sort of thing that would hardly be unusual for an average 21-year-old, especially one under pressure, but a top-line Formula 1 driver is far from average. That means expectations are often abnormal, too.

Regardless of the offender, such 'character-building' misjudgments are hardly redeeming. Max Verstappen crashed too much at the start of 2018, plain and simple, but he did not cover himself in glory with his reactions to the constant external pressure his errors brought, either. Those reactions were not only from journalists with supposed grudges to bear. To revive the phrase he hated so much, plenty within the paddock talked of a need for Verstappen to 'change his approach' - even his team boss.

It took until the end of the season to admit it, but Verstappen did exactly that. He seemed to grow up through the year, even if the post-race shoving of Esteban Ocon was a blot on the copybook following the penultimate grand prix in Brazil.

What to expect, reasonably or not, of Verstappen in 2019? Great things, undoubtedly. He is a prodigious talent who holds himself to extremely high standards, and so should we.

Verstappen showed how good he can be last year when, having adjusted his limit to avoid overstepping the mark, he embarked on a run of 10 podiums from the final 15 races and outscored everyone except world champion Lewis Hamilton in the process.

Now there's another major change in Verstappen's outlook, triggered mainly by Red Bull's switch to Honda engines. Red Bull has noticed a more focused character, and Verstappen's demeanour in the paddock reflects that too.

Pre-season testing at Barcelona offered a small, but valid, example. Red Bull motorsport advisor Helmut Marko hailed Verstappen's attitude, and specifically said he had returned after the winter break more mature.

To Verstappen, the other difference is simple. "I'm just a lot more excited," he tells Autosport in Red Bull's hospitality unit during a break from his pre-season running at Barcelona. "It's a new project with Honda, and trying to understand everything is very important."

The manner of Red Bull's initial backing translated in some circles as 'clearly maturity/experience is not an excuse for any error Verstappen ever makes'

Verstappen's relationship with Renault was toxic at times last year, as he vented over the team radio and to the media about the shortcomings he saw in the engine supplier's product and conduct. At times, Verstappen was angry. He was always unapologetically honest.

If Renault brought out the worst in Verstappen, Honda might bring out the best. As much as he wanted to criticise Renault, the fact is the manufacturer's gains last year were a key part in Verstappen being able to establish himself as such a regular threat for a podium finish, if not victory.

As Renault improved, and Red Bull gambled on using its latest, possibly unreliable upgrade, the uplift in overall performance was undoubtedly a part of how Verstappen developed into a formidable, more refined operator than the driver who started 2018.

"When you have such a good car, you don't need to go at 100% for every single race or qualifying," Verstappen says. "And the mistakes will be very limited as well.

"Last year we were really fighting for every single hundredth of a second to beat those guys who had a better package than us. Then of course you have a little wiggle or a spin.

"When you have a better car you become a better but also a different driver, because you have to take less risks."

Being an elite sportsperson stipulates being in charge of your emotions in the heat of battle, and how you conduct yourself personally outside of that environment is an important supplementary requirement.

When Red Bull threw Verstappen into F1 at 17, the company said he was mature beyond his years. That is partly why Verstappen tends to get cut very little slack for mistakes on-track or off it.

The manner of Red Bull's initial backing translated in some circles as 'clearly maturity/experience is not an excuse for any error he ever makes'. Similarly, the pressure and expectation he faced last year should have been nothing new to him. As a veteran of 81 starts and winner of five grands prix, he cannot claim to lack experience.

All of that will play a part in Verstappen being heavily scrutinised. The argument against him, Red Bull and all his supporters will be that they cannot have it both ways - claim he was mature enough for F1 at 17, then say he needs time to mature once he starts making mistakes in the spotlight. But while being young is not an excuse for Verstappen's rollercoaster 2018, immaturity was a factor.

Performing under pressure is a skill Verstappen will refine over time. It's not binary, as if a driver is either good or bad at it. Those who are adept will improve and become more consistent, those who are bad must work at it more. Verstappen started at a high level but that does not mean he cannot get even better - especially as he faces new scenarios.

He made mistakes in battle against Hamilton in Bahrain and again in China, where he also blundered into Sebastian Vettel. His fight with team-mate Daniel Ricciardo crossed the line in Azerbaijan many times and eventually ended in both drivers out of the race. Then Verstappen missed qualifying in Monaco, where Ricciardo won from pole, because of a needless crash in final practice. 'New Verstappen' recognises the significance of eliminating that from his game.

"Throughout the first few races it's just very important to be consistent and score points, even if it's not fighting for the win," says Verstappen. "We have to be there and get all our points on the board without too many reliability issues.

"That means at the end of the season you're still fighting for a good position in the championship."

It's arguable that part of Verstappen's surge in 2018 was aided by racing, and beating, others who were distracted by title aspirations (Hamilton and Vettel) or found their motivation reduced through circumstance (Ricciardo and Valtteri Bottas).

"Was Lewis ready, to fight for the title in his first year? I think he kind of answered that. Probably not, but he was! Because he had a really good car" Max Verstappen

While Verstappen showed undeniable improvements, he does still need to prove he can pass the tests he failed last time around - like racing Vettel or Hamilton wheel-to-wheel when each party is not playing percentages.

It is impossible to expect Verstappen to be completely well-rounded. Sporting brilliance does not cancel out science and like any young adult, Verstappen is responding to his environment and his experiences, learning and (he will hope) improving all the time.

So, Verstappen should crash less this year. If Honda has made the gains it seems to, that will help him in that quest. Combine that with the fact that, at still only 21-years-old, he is developing as a person all the while, and you have a recipe for a sort-of Verstappen 2.0. One that is ready for a title tilt, car/engine package permitting.

"If you have a good car you can already fight for the title in your very first year," Verstappen says. "Was Lewis ready [in 2007], to fight for the title in his first year? I think he kind of answered that. Probably not, but he was! Because he had a really good car.

"You can't be sure when you'll be ready or not because the differences in Formula 1 are so big between the cars that even if you're two tenths slower than an experienced driver but the car is half a second faster, you're still good.

"I just try to get the best out of myself, and last year sometimes we had better results than expected. I feel quite confident I can take the fight to Lewis or Seb or whoever is in the fight of the championship, but you need to have the right material."

Verstappen will privately hope he has that this season, but for all Honda's progress and the positivity that radiated from the new partnership in testing, there is still work to do to get to the level of Mercedes and Ferrari. Honda may have been limited last year by powering a midfield team, but the journey from 'still has not scored a podium since returning to F1 in 2015' and 'powering Red Bull to a world title' is a massive one.

This will not happen from one season to the next, but victories must be the target in 2019, then a world championship bid in '20. Honda and Red Bull must be ready to mount a title challenge sooner rather than later, because its lead driver already is.

And the change in outlook that his new engine/car combination could trigger should make him even more intimidating to F1's established hierarchy.