Max Verstappen reminded me of Michael Schumacher in Mexico, Ross Brawn claims

Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter for the latest tips and offers

Sign up to the Independent's betting newsletter

Please enter a valid email address

Please enter a valid email address

SIGN UP

I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy notice

Ross Brawn claims Max Verstappen reminds him of Michael Schumacher after clinching his ninth victory of the Formula One season in Mexico.

The Dutch star has too much for Lewis Hamilton, finishing 16.5 seconds clear of the Mercedes star at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez.

And the Red Bull driver took a big step towards the world title, bolstering his lead, which now stands at 19 points.

And Verstappen’s performance reminded the F1 Managing Director of the legendary Schumacher.

“Max didn’t put a foot wrong. It was an impressive performance,” Brawn said in his F1 column. “And while Checo would get the emotional vote for Driver of the Day, for me it has to go to Max for his control on the first corner, how he delivered the perfect Safety Car restart and then how he didn’t let anyone get close thereafter.

“Red Bull boss Christian Horner said after the race that Max spent a lot of time assessing potential strategies he could use at the start.

“It reminds me of how Michael Schumacher used to spend a long time walking a track on the Thursday before a race weekend. He would look at corners and check out the escape routes if things go wrong. He would then know if you can escape safely from a bold move and be more confident of making that move. Max sussed out the first corner very well in Mexico and had the confidence to pull it off.

“There are four races left and anything can happen, so this championship fight is still far from over. I heard someone say that both deserve to win the title – and in some ways they do.”