Max Verstappen says the rate of progress made by Honda this season has made him “very excited” for Red Bull’s 2019 Formula 1 pro🐭spects.

Red Bull will end its long-term association with Renault to take on Honda power units from nextಌ year, after being impressed by the Japanese manufacturer’s gains with sister squad Toro Rosso in 2018.

Toro Rosso has been encouraged by the ever-growing potential of Honda’s🍬 engine after strong qualifying performances in Japan and Austin, with Pier🐼re Gasly claiming it has made a “good step” compared to Red Bull's current suppliers Renault.

“I am very excited,” Verstappen said about the current Honda sit🐓uation.

“They seemed really quick in qualifying, so of c🍌ourse we try to finish the season in the best way possible, and the whole team is ♛very motivated [for next year].

“On the numbers and from what they are doing on🍰 the dyno already in terms of preparatio🎀n for next year, it looks very promising.”

Gasly ran Honda’s latest power unit during United States Grand Prix qualify🧸ing and turned heads with a str♊ong lap in Q1 to end the session seventh-fastest, ending up just 0.084s behind Verstappen.

When asked aꦚbout the🔯 Frenchman’s impressive Q1 performance, Verstappen replied: “OK so they used a few more tyres but our car should be quite a bit better and they were very competitive. It’s good.”

The Dutchman believes the reason Honda has made such promising gains this year is down to it being allowed to flourish at Toro Rosso, unlike the high-pressure environment it found itself in at former partner McLaren🦩.

“Basically now they did their ow💙n thing in making the engine, instead of the team te🥀lling them how to make the engine,” he explained.

“They got a few people o𒁏n board, different management and it looks very promising. Of course a year ago it was a bit diffic𒆙ult to really judge that but that was always their intention.

“You have to wait to see if they are really going to succeed, but they are definitely heading in the righ🦩t direction so I’m very happy with that.”

Verstaꦆppen reckons🌞 Red Bull will be in a position to win races early on in 2019 providing the team can produce a “magical” chassis.

“It’s a bit difficult to tell now but if we buil♕d a magical chassis and the engine is working reasonably well, then maybe wℱe can.

“I thi🍬nk at the👍 moment probably not but we will see.”