Ricciardo defends former teammate: 'Verstappen is just one of the best'

The difference between Alexander Albon and Max Verstappen at Red Bull Racing is very big. According to some, it is because the Dutchman has a lot of power in the team, but according to Daniel Ricciardo there is a simpler explanation.

In the junior categories and also at Toro Rosso and now AlphaTauri, Pierre Gasly and Alexander Albon have shown that they are very talented drivers. However, there is a huge difference with Max Verstappen in the Red Bull Racing main team. Is it because of the setup of the car the Dutchman is demanding from the team?

Daniel Ricciardo doesn't think it is. "It's not the setup of the car. I could just drive it, the difference wasn't huge. Max didn't do anything strange or unique about the car. The Red Bull may be a little harder to drive these days, but I can only say that Max is just an excellent driver. He's one of the best," said the Australian in an interview with French newspaper L'Équipe.

Renault's current driver is the last teammate who could compete with Verstappen, which, according to Ricciardo, was mainly due to the confidence in himself. "Max is so good, we shouldn't underestimate him. It's not easy for young drivers like Alex and Pierre. You have to be mentally quite resilient to drive against Max," concludes the Aussie.