“He’s such a winner” - Max Verstappen receives big praise from Manchester United’s Dutch manager Erik ten Haag

Max Verstappen has received high praise from fellow Dutchman Erik ten Hag, who is currently the head coach of English Premier League giants Manchester United.

Verstappen won his maiden Formula 1 title in 2021 when he beat Lewis Hamilton on the final lap of the season's final race in Abu Dhabi. Last year, however, he had an easy time in his title defense. The 25-year-old won 15 races to set a new single-season record while amassing the most points by a driver ever in a single campaign.

With the 2023 F1 season set to get underway in Bahrain this weekend, all eyes are on Verstappen and Red Bull Racing to see if they can match their achievements from last year.

While Ferrari and Mercedes are expected to give Red Bull a fight for the titles this year, Red Devils' boss Erik ten Hag is backing Verstappen to win his third consecutive F1 title. Speaking to Sky Sports, he said:

"He [Max Verstappen] is young but already so experienced as well. We are really proud of him in the Netherlands and I wish him good luck for the season and bring again the world title to the Netherlands."

He added:

"I don't have any tips for him because he’s showed such massive performances, he’s such a good driver but also such a great personality. He’s such a winner. I’m sure this year he will do the same because he is so consistent."

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Max Verstappen believes Red Bull's 2023 car is much better than last year's

Max Verstappen sounded very confident in his review of the RB19, Red Bull Racing's car for the 2023 F1 season.

The team launched their new car in New York on February 4, where they also announced a significant new engine partnership with Ford from 2026.

Looking ahead to the upcoming campaign, Verstappen expressed his faith in the RB19, saying:

"[The 2023 car is better than last year’s car] everywhere! That's the aim. You always try to improve it. Feels nice, well balanced of course. And every team lost a bit of performance with the floor but you always tried to gain that back in a way. So you have to find a bit of a new balance with the car, but it's been good."