Max Verstappen’s immaturity meant he didn’t care and raced with “free will” in his early career, Daniel Ricciardo says.
The Dutchman burst onto the Formula 1 scene back in 2015 as a 17-year-old, quickly gaining a reputation for an all-or-nothing approach which made him very exciting to watch.
After gaining promotion to Red Bull ahead of the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, which he of course won, Verstappen brought that same aggression with him to the front of the grid.
But while it may not have always been successful or popular with his rivals, Ricciardo admits Max’s style was refreshing.
“I think a lot of it was his age at the time, that had its downsides with a little bit of immaturity but it had its upsides,” he was quoted by Fox Sports Australia.
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“He really just didn’t care about anything, about annoying people or about the risks. It was like, ‘I’m just going to go out there and drive this thing as hard as I can’.
“He probably didn’t understand the responsibility, so he raced with a lot of free will and that worked out pretty well for him a handful of times.
“When he joined the team, really from day one he just got out of the pits and really ragged the car and wasn’t really caring about protecting the equipment or anything.
“It was just 100 or nothing and that was cool because a lot of the time I would build up to it and sometimes I was a bit too nice as well on the car.
“We certainly pushed each other a bit harder.”
Verstappen would mellow somewhat after a crash in final practice ended his chances of winning in Monaco in 2018, however, in doing so, he has developed into one of the top drivers on the grid today.
His performances are also thought to have contributed to Ricciardo’s decision to leave Red Bull at the end of 2018, and last year saw Max establish himself as the clear team leader.
“After Daniel left, Max suddenly recognised the responsibility he had on his shoulders as the senior driver and he definitely stepped it up a gear and became more of his own person,” team boss Christian Horner said.
“He shouldered that responsibility incredibly well and the way he’s driven the team forward, the direction he gives from the cockpit in terms of development and feedback, has been outstanding.”