Marc Surer lost faith in Max Verstappen after "enormously disappointing" start

Former Formula 1 driver Marc Surer believes Max Verstappen is the man to lead Red Bull and Honda towards their first world championship but admits he lost faith in the Dutchman 12 months ago.

"He can lead that team this year. At the end of 2018, he took the lead and responsibility. He was able to show a certain degree of maturity with the results he could achieve on a constant basis. He seems to have taken the step to be able to perform consistently and is extremely intelligent," Surer told Motorsport.com.

Verstappen pairs up with Pierre Gasly after Daniel Ricciardo walked through the Red Bull exit door during the winter. Despite forming a very young team, the duo has bags of experience to use. Verstappen, 21, will race in his 100th Grand Prix in 2019.

Looking back at 2018, Verstappen made key mistakes in the opening six rounds and faced his fair share of criticism. Surer, who raced for Arrows and Brabham, confirms he lost confidence in Verstappen.

"Last year he was very poor at the beginning, and he disappointed me enormously. I really wondered if he was still learning, but he managed to fight himself back. His end was impressive, and hopefully, he can do that as a leader. If he drives smartly he can easily participate in front," according to the Swiss.