Max Verstappen is the driver five-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton and Ferrari's Sebastian Vettel will fear the most this season, according to his Red Bull team boss Christian Horner.
The 21-year-old Dutchman won two races last year, with a third victory snatched from him after a collision while leading in Brazil. He ended the season fourth overall.
Hamilton, 34, won 11 races for Mercedes on his way to the title while four-time world champion Vettel, 31, was runner-up having claimed five.
"Max, if you look at his performance in the second half of the (last) year, was the second-highest points scorer to Lewis," Horner said on Tuesday.
"I don't think he lacks anything that they have, if we can provide him the tools to do the job. I think he's probably the driver that they fear the most."
Verstappen was the sport's youngest driver when he debuted with Red Bull-owned Toro Rosso as a 17-year-old and the youngest winner at 18 at the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix.
Horner said the years would eventually take their toll on Hamilton and Vettel and saw Verstappen - the main man at the team after Australian Daniel Ricciardo left for Renault - as heir apparent.
"I think his maturity has increased; we saw that during the course of last year. He's just much more rounded through experience," said the Briton.
"He's just more worldly, more experienced. He's just in a better place to be able to deal with the pressures that are placed on him."
Verstappen hit the headlines after Brazil, when he was ordered to do two days' public service for shoving French driver Esteban Ocon after the collision.
He did one day by accompanying stewards at a Formula E race last month in Morocco.
"He came back and went, 'Crikey, these guys have got difficult decisions to make. Whether you penalise or not.' I think that was actually a useful exercise for him to see the other side of the fence," said Horner.
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