Multiple world champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel believe Max Verstappen i𝔉s ready to challenge for Formula 1 titles, providing Red Bull and Honda can strike a successful partnership.

Verstappen endu🌌red mistake-ridden start to 2018 but impressively recovered to outscore every driver except Hamilton in the second half of the year. The 21-year-old secured a career-best🦂 finish of fourth in F1, having won two races and recorded 11 podiums in total.

Red Bull has opted to end its long-te♔rm association with Renault engines in favour of a switch to Honda power from 2019, with the Milton Keynes outfit confident the Japanese manufacturer can deliver a power unit capable of fighting for world championships.

"Max has been driving very well throughout the year and has shown his consistency and has been up here man♏y, many times with us," Hamilton said.

"So, if his team does the job and delivers a platform with which he ⭕can compete 😼even closer with us, then of course he'll be in the fight."

Four-time world champion Ve𒐪ttel, who won all of his titles with Red Bull, added he believes Verstappen has “got all the ingredients” required.

"There's a couple of guys out th🀅ere who have these qualities and Max is certainly one of them,” he explained.

"I also remember from my time, it's important to ha𒁏ve a competitive package throughout thꦺe season and Red Bull are certainly very, very strong.

"I think they put more ♓performance to their car than any other team across the y🐷ear, so obviously that allowed them to be very competitive.

"Max 💝and Daniel [Ricc🌃iardo] have proven that they can be very, very quick and very consistent so I'm sure [we will see] more of him."

Verstappen ended 2018 just two points shy of third-place man Kimi Raikkonen and would have beaten the Ferrari d🌺river in the standings had he not lost the lead in Brazil following a clash with backmarker Esteban Ocon.

Asked if he felt ready for a title push, Verstappen replied: "I always find that a really difficult question, because you're so dependent on the pa🐲ckage in Formula 1.

"When I was watching back in the day, it see꧃med like Lewis was ready for the title in his first year [2007].

"You can ﷺalways do things better but I think that's every year. Even if you win the title, there are always things which you can do bet💜ter.

"So, even if we have a winning package, there will b💫e weekends where you make a mistake, or it can be a better weekend overall.

"Hopefully first we'll have that package."