Max Verstappen believes Lewis Hamilton has it "a lot easier" to be successful in Formula 1 given the performance and support he has from Mercedes.

The Dutchman is establishing himself as possibly the biggest threat to the Briton's current run of championship victories after a very strong final two-thirds of 2018 saw him claim 10 podiums, including two wins from Canada.

Now his Red Bull team need just the final component to mount a serious title bid, a competitive engine against Mercedes and Ferrari which they hope will come from Honda after ditching long-time supplier Renault.

“The engine for next year is a completely new one,” Verstappen claimed “It has been on the test bench for a while but it’s a bit of a wait.

“I think the prospects are good compared to what we had until now. It is definitely a lot better.”

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Should that come to fruition, then the 21-year-old thinks he can take the fight to Hamilton, who he claims has always had the right tools to be competitive.

“It is not about being ready or not ready. You just have to have the right material,” he told Holland's Ziggo Sport.

“Lewis was ready in his first year already, just because he had a really good car, but now he also has less pressure.

“He has a very good car and his teammate [Valtteri Bottas] is not there anyway.

"When the whole team is all about you, it’s a lot easier and the better your car is, the easier it is again.”

It is having that lead driver role which Verstappen is referring to that he also will enjoy in 2019, as Red Bull are expected to back him over Pierre Gasly following the departure of Daniel Ricciardo.