Herbert predicts: "Red Bull will definitely win the Monaco Grand Prix this year"

"I think Max can already win the championship this year," Herbert said in the conversation with Motorsport.com.

“We saw that Red Bull - Honda is not in bad shape. Max was right behind Lewis Hamilton. They still have to do something, because the Honda engine has to prove itself even more. In terms of chassis, Mercedes seemed to be slightly better in Melbourne, but in Bahrain, it can be completely different again. I am sure they will win in Monaco."

This weekend marked the first Honda podium since 2008. They've suddenly upped their performance over the previous two years and Herbert isn't surprised.

“They had a hard time at McLaren, but I am not surprised by the development. They are not stupid at Honda. It's a complicated piece of technology and it takes a while. Honda seems to understand the concept and I think that the engine is not yet at its best, but it is already making considerable progress," he added.

Verstappen was catching Hamilton during the final 10 laps of the race. Without running on the grass, he would have had a better chance to overtake the Silver Arrow. Herbert says he's impressed with the third-place finish.

“I am very impressed by the speed of his development. Max received a lot of criticism in Brazil about the incident with Ocon. He should have given Esteban more room, but I think that's nonsense. Ocon was wrong there."

"Max may not be the perfect driver yet, but he is young and learns fast. He is absolutely capable of winning the championship."