A prediction made earlier this year about Max Verstappen by his team boss Christian Horner has proven to be accurate, in the wake of the Dutchman's second Formula 1 world title.
Verstappen's maiden F1 crown came after a title battle for the ages with Lewis Hamilton. He secured back-to-back championship successes this term as well, but it was much more of a formality this time around with no-one able to provide stern competition.
Ferrari looked to be the main rivals at the start of the year, but with reliability issues and strategy blunders their challenge fell away. In the end, Charles Leclerc was 146 points adrift of Verstappen in the drivers' standings.
His dominance was, of course, eye-catching. But Verstappen also received praise from some over how he appeared to have matured – driving in a way which some felt was less aggressive and more respectful, while still being the fastest man on track more often than not.
The improvements the Dutchman has continued to make as a driver have proven Horner correct. The Red Bull team principal said earlier this year, in an interview with the Daily Mail, that he expected Verstappen to continue to develop despite having already secured F1's ultimate prize.
"Having won this first world championship, it relieves an awful lot of pressure," he said. "That is in the bank now. It is on his CV. He will continue to grow now he has got that first one out of the way. We saw that with Sebastian Vettel."
Horner was speaking not long after it was announced that Verstappen had signed a new contract with the team. Not only did it make him the highest-paid driver on the grid, alongside his rival Hamilton, but it also tied him down with Red Bull until 2028 – a very lengthy deal by F1 standards.
Horner said: "We have huge confidence in Max, otherwise, we would never have committed to that time scale. To go to 2028 is almost unheard of in this sport, to commit to a driver for that period of time. He is a massive asset to us. He strongly believes in the team and it is down to us to provide him with the tools to get the job done.
"At some point, Lewis will slow down or he'll stop and, of course, he is going to have a massive challenge with a very competitive young team-mate and hungry team-mate this year who is going to be one of the best drivers on the grid. George Russell is a phenomenal talent. In Max, at 24, we have looked to lock down what we believe will be the purple patch of his career."
