Horner: I would not trade Verstappen for Hamilton

The tale of the tape shows that Verstappen 13 years younger than Hamilton; the Dutchman has 84 grand prix starts on his CV compared to Hamilton's 229 starts; the win score is 73-5 and podium tally 134-22 both in favour of the Mercedes driver.

Hamilton, as a driver, is at his best ever and has the capacity to raise it a notch when the need arises, the benchmark bar is never static with him. Verstappen, on the other hand, has bucket loads of potential but a lot to learn and a questionable temperament.

Nevertheless, when asked by Daily Mail if he would trade Verstappen for Hamilton, Horner replied, "No. Max is the future. He is 21 years of age and he is evolving."

"Both he and Lewis are phenomenal drivers. Lewis is one of the best of all time. Max has won grands prix but is yet to compete for a championship. However, in terms of all-round ability, race craft and speed, Max is capable of going shoulder to shoulder with Lewis."

Verstappen is a controversy magnet, his talent, style and temperament combine to make him one of the most exciting young talents since Hamilton himself broke into the top flight.

The Dutchman was somewhat wayward during the first half of 2018, but he turned it around with a stellar finish to his campaign last season.

Horner explained, "Max was top scorer behind Hamilton in the second half of last season, so that shows how well he was driving. Max was criticised in some quarters when he showed emotion after the race with Ocon."

"At least there was passion. People relate to that kind of emotion. That is why he has such a big following. We don't want vanilla characters. Lewis is a Marmite kind of guy. That is good."

"It goes to the heart of what Formula 1 must look to be post-2020, when the new regulations come in. The drivers must be the stars of the show. They must get out of the cars exhausted. Technology plays too big a role at this moment in time," added Horner.