Max Verstappen's one-off talent makes him the "Messi of motorsport", former Formula 1 driver Robert Doornbos claims.

While he has shown his youth and inexperience on several occasions since debuting in 2015, the past couple of years has seen the Red Bull driver develop into one of the fastest on the grid.

Along with that Verstappen has become one of the most popular drivers in F1, with his fanbase in Holland alone enough to see the return of the Dutch Grand Prix at Zandvoort this year.

Perhaps then it's no surprise that Doornbos, who now analyses for Ziggo Sport, is a little biased in his praise of the 22-year-old.

"Max Verstappen is the Messi of motorsport," he told Gassan magazine. "Once in the decade, a super talent like Max comes by. Someone who can and can do so much at such a young age is unique."

Verstappen has also become the prize asset of Red Bull, who have struggled to find a driver to race alongside him after Daniel Ricciardo left after 2018.

And team boss Christian Horner is convinced he will be the man to end Lewis Hamilton's reign as world champion.

“The likelihood is that Max is the one most likely to have a go at [Hamilton], and that’s inevitable because there is always another wave coming," Horner told Reuters.

“Max is the coming man. He is 22 years of age; he is in the ascendancy. Lewis is, what, 35?.

"It is inevitable in any sport, there’s always another generation coming.”

But with Red Bull confident of having a car that can take on Hamilton and Mercedes in 2020, advisor Helmut Marko predicts a different Verstappen will start this season.

“You can look forward to a Max who won’t get going with a knife between his teeth in Melbourne,” he told Kronen Zeitung with a striking analogy.

“[He] knows that you won’t win the world title in the first corner, nor in the first race, but with constant top positions."

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That being said, Marko is keen to come out fast in 2020.

“The batteries are already running at full power again, the roll-out is on February 12, the first test in three weeks – and we have a big goal: We want to be the first challenger to Lewis Hamilton!" he concluded.