Domencali: Max is a cannibal, reminds me so much of Michael

Clearly using the word in the 'nicest' way possible to describe the old Ferrari legend and Red Bull driver; Max's meteoric rise through the F1 ranks is well documented since he made his debut at the age of 17, now as a 24-year-old he has turned into a ruthless winning machine.

Last year Verstappen nipped the F1 title at the season finale in Abi Dhabi - on that infamous last lap - in stark contrast, this year he might even do the business at the Singapore Grand Prix next weekend, if not a second crown in succession should be his at Suzuka.

In a wide-ranging interview with Corriere Della Sera, Domenicali touched on the subject of Verstappen and the similarities with Schumacher: "He resembles him because his focuses is on everything he does on track. He has matured a lot, he has learned to manage his emotions.

"He is a cannibal, he doesn't look anyone in the face and in this regard, he reminds me so much of Michael," ventured Domenicali, who was at Maranello during Schumi's glorious era with Ferrari.

Verstappen has one rival that with the right car will give him a run for his money, and that is Charles Leclerc who the F1 chief also rates highly: "He is an extraordinary driver too, with a different empathy to Max. He also has other interests besides F1 and is keen to develop them."

F1 booming, attracting new eyeballs to screens, is largely credited to the popularity of the dramatised Drive to Survive series on Netflix, however, the series would not have the success if the likes of Verstappen and Leclerc were not around as star characters.

Indeed the future for F1 looks decidedly bright with young stars such as Carlos Sainz, Lando Norris, George Russell, Guanyu Zhou, Alex Albon and Pierre Gasly, making up a formidable cast for the foreseeable future, thus no surprise that the demand to host races is high which makes Domenicali a busy man.

The Italian explained: "A Grand Prix is not just a car race but a showcase for a country. From a cultural, economic and value point of view. The championship is followed by two-billion viewers, each event employing 8,000-15,000 people for a period between two weeks and a month. With an economic income of 100-150 million euros, talking only about sport is an understatement.

"We have won over a non-racing audience. By creating different content for different people, young people need intensity: new cameras, and new styles of storytelling," said Domenicali, concluding that "F1 is a sport and also a show, the two elements are combined."