Has the penny finally dropped for Verstappen?

Max Verstappen has endured a difficult start to 2018. His botched overtake on Sebastian Vettel in Sunday's Chinese Grand Prix is just the latest in a string of clumsy errors. Despite his obvious talent, have Verstappen's recent performances brought his lack of maturity to light?

When Verstappen burst onto the scene three years ago, his guile and finesse drew comparisons with legends like Ayrton Senna and Michael Schumacher. Becoming Formula 1's youngest ever grand prix winner a little over a year later only added to that hype, but now the Dutchman faces the first real test of his fledgling career.

Seemingly unawed at the prospect of battling F1's biggest names at such a tender age, Verstappen has been a breath of fresh air in recent years, aggressively pursuing his opponents and executing moves that few others would dare attempt, let along be able to pull off.

Whether it's his brave pass on Felipe Nasr through Spa's flat-out Blanchimont bend in his debut season, or the way in which he diced through the field with precision in a wet Brazilian Grand Prix a year later, Verstappen has on occasions left the watching F1 world breathless.

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Bad days can become great ones when you find that zone#MondayMotivation #BrazilGP @Max33Verstappen pic.twitter.com/aZfBhKO0G8 — Formula 1 (@F1) November 14, 2016

Like many great drivers though, Verstappen is flawed. Yes, he may only be 20 years of age and there is plenty of time to iron out those flaws, but iron them out he must if he is to reach his potential.

After a scruffy opening race, and a coming together with Lewis Hamilton in Bahrain that prompted the Mercedes driver to label him a "dickhead" afterwards, Verstappen would have been wise to keep his head down and stay out of trouble for a little while.

In Daniel Ricciardo, Verstappen has a team-mate who is approaching his prime as a grand prix driver. What he may lack in raw pace compared to Verstappen, he more than makes up with intelligence and nous - and that showed in China.

Red Bull had the chance of a 1-2 in Shanghai, but not for the first time Verstappen's impatience got the better of him.

A poorly timed move on Hamilton off-line at turn seven was optimistic to say the least. A driver of Hamilton's experience was never going to be passed there, and he duly shut the door leaving Verstappen with little choice but to bail out of the move to avoid contact.

His attempt to pass Vettel was even worse. It simply wasn't on. Vettel had already committed to the corner despite running a little deep, but Verstappen carried too much speed into the apex and pitched the Ferrari and himself into a spin.

In contrast, Ricciardo's moves were clinical, well timed and well judged. All six of his grand prix wins have come from fourth on the grid or lower. When you can overtake like that, you can live with having a team-mate who is a tenth faster here and there.

Curiously, Verstappen's judgement appears to be spot on when he's acting purely on instinct, but often falls short when he has time to think too much about a situation.

Red Bull have been here before. Back in 2010, their then-rising star Vettel was often extremely quick but also frustratingly error-prone. Vettel came through his sticky patch and quickly matured, but with expectations high at Red Bull the pressure will build on Verstappen to do the same.

Let's make one thing clear, very few people in F1 are questioning Verstappen's ability. He's an F1 record-breaker for a reason, and with a long-term contract in his back pocket, he knows he has the backing of the team.

There are signs though that Verstappen will need guidance, and perhaps even a change of approach, if he is to deliver the return on investment that Red Bull will be looking for in the long term.

Mistakes are all part of the game. Every driver has made them, and many drivers with significantly more experience still make them now. The problem for Verstappen is that he has shown a tendency not to learn from his mistakes and that is a concern.

To his credit, he appeared contrite after the race in China, and admitted his error - something he has rarely done before. It appears Verstappen's unwavering self-confidence may have finally been dented, and perhaps the realisation that there's more to winning than simply going flat out has finally dawned on him.