Verstappen has what F1 needs

We all knew there was something special about Max Verstappen, why else would Red Bull have recruited him at the age of just 16? But now we know there is real character behind the talent.

Formula 1 supremo Bernie Ecclestone has long bemoaned the lack of personality among today's crop of drivers, appreciating the fact the social-media driven environment and culture has turned them into virtually corporate automatons.

Take Ecclestone's biting remarks in May in the build up to the Monaco Grand Prix when he practically humiliated Nico Rosberg by telling the German "you are not good for my business".

Instead, the 84-year-old went on to laud Rosberg's Mercedes team-mate Lewis Hamilton, proclaiming the current world champion to be "a super promoter of the sport".

Verstappen earned criticism for his Monaco Grand Prix shunt © XPB

"Generally I still believe Lewis is the best champion we have had in a long, long time," exalted Ecclestone.

"He manages to get to all different walks of life: red carpet, fashion business, and music - you name it."

Ecclestone even derided a driver he has long supported in Sebastian Vettel by stating the Ferrari star and four-time champion was "also not doing much for Formula 1".

It was abundantly clear from Ecclestone's words he wants his drivers to be more high profile, to be heard and seen, to not shy away from the spotlight when an opportunity to promote F1 is thrust upon them.

How Ecclestone must love young Max, and how he must hope that over time he does not become constrained by a more righteous-minded modern society that wails and moans over any oral faux pas or misdeed.

So stand up and take a bow Verstappen for proving to Ecclestone there is hope for the future and Hamilton is not alone in bearing the burden for F1.

The naysayers who decried Verstappen's entry into F1 have been made to look foolish given what the now 17-year-old has achieved this season with Toro Rosso.

Verstappen's pace and racecraft have been a joy to behold, and yes, while there has been the odd impetuosity-of-youth moment, he has also shown he is quick to learn from his mistakes.

The Dutch teenager has also shown he can handle himself off track, too, as was the case when he verbally sparred with veteran Felipe Massa in the main press conference ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix.

In the build up to that race Verstappen was rightly taking flak after suggesting he had been brake-tested by Lotus's Romain Grosjean in Monaco, which resulted in his spectacular crash into a barrier at Sainte Devote.

It was appreciably a foolish remark, one that earned him a stern rebuke from his peers, including Massa who had suggested Verstappen's driving was "pretty dangerous", pointedly adding that "experience counts in Formula 1".

So when Massa and Verstappen conveniently appeared alongside one another in the FIA preview in Montreal the Brazilian added fuel to the fire by stating: "When you are in your first year, 17 years old, and you do something like that, if you are not penalised it's completely wrong."

Verstappen robustly defended his driving in Monaco before adding with a dig: "Maybe you should review the race from last year and see what happened there."

That was reference to Massa's crash with Force India's Sergio Perez in the 2014 race at Montreal's Circuit Gilles Villeneuve.

Yes, it was a little catty, maybe petty, but it showed Verstappen was unwilling to take the hits and let himself be bullied by those with greater experience.

Verstappen stood up for himself when under fire in Canada © LAT

So to Singapore and one of the drives of the season after Verstappen found himself last and a lap down in the opening stages when the anti-stall failed as he attempted to pull away from eighth on the grid.

An early safety car aided Verstappen's cause, allowing him to unlap himself and take up 19th given Nico Hulkenberg's early exit in his Force India.

From there, Verstappen managed to pick his way through the field, producing some typically daring moves to return to his original starting spot of eighth behind Hulkenberg's team-mate Sergio Perez.

For 10 laps, although Verstappen harried and hassled Perez, the greater speed of the Mercedes power unit compared to his own Renault system allowed the Mexican to give himself a cushion at the vital parts of the track.

With five laps remaining Verstappen was told by engineer Xevi Pujolar to let by team-mate Carlos Sainz Jr behind him in ninth so the Spaniard could have his own crack at passing Perez.

Verstappen's response was a defiant: "No!"

Pujolar returned to the radio for a second time to issue the order, but Verstappen stood his ground and we can only assume the retort included a few choice words as FOM opted not to air his comment.

As Verstappen said: "After I was told the second time [to let Sainz by] I made it quite clear I didn't want to do it."

Toro Rosso has since held its hands up and conceded it effectively made a mistake, believing that with Sainz on new super-softs in the final stint, with Verstappen on a used set of the same compound, the Spaniard would have a better chance of overtaking Perez.

But Sainz could not even get close enough to Verstappen to give him an opportunity to yield, never mind go on to pass a Force India the latter declared to be just too quick on the straights.

Team principal Franz Tost ceded after the race Verstappen "was right" not to pull to one side, going on to praise his young driver's strength of character.

It was a show of belligerence rarely seen in F1 these days, with Verstappen unwilling to taint what he considered to be his "best race of the year".

Sainz claimed he just wanted a two-lap opportunity to take on Perez, and if he had failed he would have stepped aside for Verstappen in return.

We can only take Sainz's word for that, and it is now a hypothetical on which we will never know the outcome.

Jos backs his son's tough stance as a Formula 1 rookie at Toro Rosso © LAT

But I'm going to have to give credit to Verstappen on this occasion for showing some balls and standing his ground, for displaying the kind of character often missing in F1.

On this matter I will leave the final word to his father Jos, who effectively summed up what his son is all about, displaying the kind of attitude that will surely help him go on to achieve so much more in F1.

"I would have been really angry with Max if he had given up his place. I never did it," said Verstappen Sr.

"We talked about it among ourselves sometimes, and I knew he would not do it. You heard it in his reaction 'No!' Max is a racer and he doesn't let anybody pass.

"If it was for the title, I could understand such a request, but not to give up your place after such a great race.

"He is not a second driver. In Singapore he made a statement - not only to Toro Rosso, but to all teams."

It was a statement many will have taken notice of.