Daniel Ricciardo does believe former teammate Max Verstappen is set for “greatness” in Formula 1.
The Australian left Red Bull at the end of 2018 to join Renault but enjoyed a strong relationship with the Dutchman even if resulted were heavily in Max’s favour towards the end of their near three-year stint together.
Having seen first-hand Verstappen’s immense talent and potential, Ricciardo now thinks it needs just one final ingredient before he starts achieving real success.
“For sure there’s a lot of potential for greatness for Max. I think it’s all about the trajectory. He keeps improving, he was quick from day one, but I’m convinced he’s got quicker than his first win with Red Bull,” he told RaceFans.
“I’m sure he’ll keep improving but it’s probably going to be more of a scenario/situation in terms of if he’s going to be with a car that’s capable of winning. That’s probably what’s going to dictate what levels of greatness he’s able to achieve.”
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Both Ricciardo and Verstappen have scored victories – 12 in total – with Red Bull, but using the Renault engine, the team was never able to challenge Mercedes and Ferrari consistently.
Now with Honda, expectations are increasing that could offer the boost needed to fight for the championship but if that isn’t the case…
“Obviously, if that goes through a course where it’s not happening then you might get the frustrated version [of Max],” Ricciardo continued. “But as far as obviously his ability and that goes, he’s obviously very talented.”
As for a final reflection on their partnership, the 29-year-old concluded: “I’ve enjoyed the challenge with him and the rivalry, I think we’ve both grown as drivers. It’s been beneficial to both our careers.”