Hamilton teammate Bottas ’is not there’ - Verstappen

Max Verstappen has admitted he will try to emulate Lewis Hamilton and Mercedes’ approach to winning the world championship.

The Dutchman can finally stop complaining about his customer Renault engines in 2019, as Red Bull makes the switch to works Honda power.

"The engine for next year is a completely new one," he told Ziggo Sport.

"It has been on the test bench for a while but it’s a bit of a wait. I think the prospects are good compared to what we had until now. It is definitely a lot better," Verstappen said.

However, Red Bull is remaining cautious, with Verstappen saying he will aim for consistency early next year when Honda may still be catching up.

"If we can just do a bit better and then do a season like Lewis just had then it is already a lot better for the championship," he said.

Verstappen says he does not feel that Hamilton is a better driver, but that the Mercedes star just has a better car.

"It is not about being ready or not ready," he insisted. "You just have to have the right material.

"Lewis was ready in his first year already, just because he had a really good car. But now he also has less pressure.

"He has a very good car and his teammate is not there anyway. When the whole team is all about you, it’s a lot easier. And the better your car is, the easier it is again," said Verstappen.