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

Verstappen endured♔ mistake-ridden star𒁃t 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 B൲ull has opted to end its long-term 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 c𝓀onsistency and has been up he🃏re many, 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 Vettel, who won all of his titles with Red Bull, added he believes Verstappen has 𝔉“got all the ingredients” required.

"There's a couple of guys out there who have these qualities and Max 🤪is certainly one o🥂f them,” he explained.

"I also remember from my time, 💜it's important to have a com𒈔petitive package throughout the season and Red Bull are certainly very, very strong.

"I think they put more performance to th🎐eir car than any other team acro𒊎ss the year, so obviously that allowed them to be very competitive.

"Max and Daniel [Ricciardo] have proven that🍬 they can be very, very quick and very con🦄sistent 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 driver in the standings had he not lost the lead꧟ in Brazil following a clash with backmarker Esteban Ocon.

Asked if he felt𓃲 ready for a title push, Verstappen replied: "I always find that a really difficult question, because you're so dependent on the package inꦛ Formula 1.

"When I was watching back in the day, it✃ seemed like Lewis was ready for the title in h🌠is first year [2007].

"You can always do things b♛etter but I think that's every year. Even if you win the title, there are always things which you can do betterꦆ.

"So, even if we have a winning package, there will be weekends where you make a mistake, or it can be a better weeken🐈d overall.

"Hopefully first we'll have that package."