Max Verstappen's errors remind Red Bull F1 team of Sebastian Vettel
Max Verstappen's mistakes remind his team boss Christian Horner of when four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel was first racing for the Red Bull Formula 1 team
Verstappen tipped now-Ferrari driver Vettel into a spin in the closing stages of last weekend's Chinese Grand Prix, one week after clashing with the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain.
Vettel stepped up to the Red Bull senior team in 2009 and went on to win four F1 titles, but his first championship-winning season featured some high-profile errors.
He wiped out team-mate Mark Webber in Turkey and McLaren's Jenson Button in Belgium in 2010 (pictured above), and Horner said Verstappen - now in his second full year with the Red Bull senior team - was going through the same learning process.
"Yes, he's made some mistakes," admitted Horner.
"I remember when we had Sebastian at a similar stage in his career, it wasn't uncommon that he also made some mistakes.
"I think he'd [Max] have learned a lot. He will put that to good use in the future, in the coming races.
"His talent is extremely obvious, his bravery and racing instinct is not in doubt.
"Obviously he was too impatient, and he will for sure learn from that, I've got absolutely no doubt."
Verstappen and Hamilton disagreed over their Bahrain collision but in China Verstappen was swift to accept blame and apologise to Vettel, who praised the 20-year-old's approach.
"Just talking with him after the race, he's put his hand up, he apologised to Sebastian, he did that immediately as they got out of their cars," said Horner.
"I spoke to Sebastian after the race as well and he appreciated that Max apologised to him."
Verstappen's team-mate Daniel Ricciardo won the Chinese GP after a flawless rise from sixth to first after Red Bull pitted both its drivers for soft tyres under the safety car.
Ricciardo was behind Verstappen at that point and only got ahead when Verstappen went off-track trying to pass Hamilton around the outside into the fast Turn 7 left-hander.
"Max had a grip advantage, he got a better drive, he found himself on the outside there and decided to hang it out with Lewis, who was never going to concede in that corner easily," said Horner.
"He [Hamilton] was more generous with Daniel in the braking area, but Daniel picked his time differently to where Max decided to have a go."
Horner said Ricciardo was a good benchmark for Verstappen once the Dutchman gains more experience.
"He's a very rounded driver now, Daniel," said Horner. "He's absolutely at the top of his game and I think he has been for the last couple of years.
"He's hit that balance of experience and pace. He's one of the best overtakers in the business, and his judgement is impeccable.
"I really feel that he's just at a different part of his career to where Max is at the moment - obviously he's still very young and fresh and going through that experience."
Why F1's under-fire art of fast pitstops is so controversial
Why the Verstappen bubble has finally burst
Why the future is bright for the British GP
It wasn’t so long ago the situation looked bleak at Silverstone with the future of the British Grand Prix under threat. But a transformation has seen it restored to one of the most important races on the Formula 1 calendar, with bigger and better to come
Could mixed fortunes for F1's leading Brits turn around at Silverstone?
For the first time in many years, none of the local racers starts among the favourites for the British Grand Prix. But George Russell, Lewis Hamilton and Lando Norris could have reasons for optimism
Verstappen exclusive: Why F1’s champion isn’t fazed by Silverstone return
Max Verstappen is the world’s number one racing driver… and he’s determined to keep it that way. Speaking exclusively to GP Racing's OLEG KARPOV, the Red Bull driver explains why he’s relishing the 2022 championship battle with Charles Leclerc – and why he’s not worried about returning to Silverstone, the scene of the biggest accident of his career last year
Why Red Bull’s RB17 hypercar can help its F1 team
On Tuesday, Red Bull laid out its plans to develop and build a new hypercar - the RB17 - penned by Adrian Newey. As the project itself sates Newey as a creative outlet, it also offers Red Bull's Formula 1 team a number of new and exciting avenues to pursue
What to expect from Mercedes as F1 returns to Silverstone
OPINION: The British Grand Prix is a home event for Lewis Hamilton and George Russell, with their Mercedes team based just a few miles away too. But there’s another reason why the Silver Arrows squad is eager to arrive at Silverstone this weekend, which may help it fix its remaining problems with its 2022 Formula 1 challenger
The “solemn promise” that cost quiet hero Brooks an F1 title
After two terrifying crashes, one of the best British racers of the 1950s retired before his career peaked. But that’s why GP Racing’s MAURICE HAMILTON was able to speak to Tony Brooks in 2014. Like his friend Stirling Moss, Brooks was regarded as one of the best drivers never to have won the world championship. Here, as our tribute to Brooks who died last month, is that interview in full
Inside the Faenza facility where AlphaTauri’s F1 pragmatic vision is realised
AlphaTauri’s mission in F1 is to sell clothes and train young drivers rather than win the championship – but you still need a cutting-edge factory to do that. Team boss Franz Tost takes GP Racing’s OLEG KARPOV on a guided tour of a facility that’s continuing to grow
Connecting two of Ferrari's favourite F1 sons
Gilles Villeneuve's exploits behind the wheel of a Ferrari made him a legend to the tifosi, even 40 years after his death. The team's current Formula 1 star Charles Leclerc enjoys a similar status, and recently got behind the wheel of a very special car from the French-Canadian’s career