“But nevertheless, Alex is mentally strong enough to compete against Max, and the outcome and future will show.”

Tost worked with Verstappen at Toro Rosso through the early part of the Dutchman’s career, and said there were similarities to what he had seen from Albon through 2019.

“Max was more aggressive, especially fighting against other drivers, as maybe you remember. There were some good overtaking manoeuvres, also some crashes, but it’s part of the game,” Tost said.

“Max has a very, very high natural speed, as well as Alex. From the rest, from the technical side, they are quite similar.

“Both of them have a good understanding of how to set up the car, and both of them have a good understanding how to use the tyres in the best possible way, how to manage them.

“But of course Max is much more experienced, and this for sure will help him.”