Ricciardo picks most underrated driver: 'He's showing character'

Daniel Ricciardo names the most underrated F1 driver on the grid and remarkably chooses his own replacement at Red Bull Racing in 2019. According to the Australian, Pierre Gasly has shown a lot of character during his F1 career.

In conversation with Express Sports the McLaren driver is asked which colleague he thinks is the most underrated driver. Ricciardo opts for Gasly, who replaced him at Red Bull in 2019 and embarked on a tumultuous path. Indeed, the Frenchman's adventure at Red Bull Racing alongside Max Verstappen was not a success and consequently only lasted 12 races. Gasly was 'demoted' to AlphaTauri, but nevertheless showed great character by proving himself again from that spot and even scoring a win in 2020.

Ricciardo in awe of his own replacement at Red Bull

Personally, I like Pierre Gasly. He's not the only driver I like. I like him as a person, but I also like what he has demonstrated. He reached the top at Red Bull and had a great opportunity there, but it was short-lived. As quickly as he got to the top, he fell back down again. He is showing good character traits, a lot of resilience. Despite all that, he managed to win a race in 2020. He also had a couple of podiums. So I think everyone had written him off, but he actually came back stronger."

Ricciardo says he is happy for him and respects the Frenchman as a competitor. How Gasly continued to fight and maintain his credibility in F1 could become an important example for Ricciardo. The McLaren driver's seat is currently in jeopardy. The fallback options in F1 are few for the Australian, so he must consider saying goodbye to F1 or consider a similar situation Gasly was in in mid-2019 and after.