Mario Andretti a big fan: "Not a question of if but when he'll be world champion"

F1 legend Mario Andretti has praised Aston Martin Red Bull Racing star Max Verstappen, dubbing the Dutchman a "rare talent" and a future world champion, adding Red Bull will challenge for the title in 2020.

Verstappen and Red Bull look to be the main challengers for reigning champions Mercedes in the upcoming season, with Ferrari seemingly not at the races with the SF1000.

"Looking at the quality they have at Red Bull and the winning mentality - they've been champions in the past and they're determined to be champions again - they'll fight Mercedes and Ferrari," the former champion told Motorsport.com.

Andretti has always been a big fan of Verstappen, with the American praising the young driver's pure talent and racecraft several times since he entered Formula 1 in 2015. Now at Red Bull, Verstappen has eight race wins under his belt already at 22 years old and can still become the youngest champion in history if he takes the title in 2020.

"I was a fan from the start with how Max approaches racing," Andretti continued. 

"He's shown to have exceptional quality. Talents like him are very rare. He's absolutely a potential world champion, there's no doubt about that. It's not a matter of if but when he'll be champion. If the Red Bull car is good enough, he'll take care of the rest."

When asked what about Verstappen's driving made him such a big fan of the Dutchman, Andretti highlighted his aggressive driving style, which makes for good watching as a spectator.

"It's fun to watch him. You usually see in the rain whether someone has special talents. In wet races a driver's talent is best seen. And he thrives in those moments.

"As I said, I love how his approach. It's only about racing for him."