Ricciardo left stunned by Verstappen’s 'ridiculous' title comeback

The Dutchman has cut what was a gap of 104 points after the summer break to just a 40-point deficit, hunting down the McLaren pair of Oscar Piastri and Lando Norris at the top of the drivers' championship.

Before the summer break, Verstappen only had two wins to his name in a difficult season. But after some changes were made to the RB21, the four-time world champion has taking three wins in the last four races to throw himself back into an improbable title fight.

Ricciardo, who was Verstappen's teammate from 2016 until 2018 at Red Bull, has been stunned by the turnaround from Verstappen and Red Bull, praising the quality of the 27-year-old.

“Max is ridiculous. Kid’s so good. Yes, I am stating the obvious now," the Australian stated in a WhatsApp group chat with fans.

"Max is contacting the restaurant about his steak cooked medium rare for later tonight," continued Ricciardo, joking that the Dutchman would already be thinking about his meal after the Grand Prix, such was his dominance.

There is also some eagerness from the six-time Grand Prix winner to see if Verstappen can take a fifth consecutive world title as his stunning form continues: “I am looking forward to it, and Max is keeping this championship even more exciting than it already was.”

Many people in the paddock have been shocked by the turnaround from Red Bull and the sublime form of Verstappen, with Red Bull team principal Laurent Mekies calling the Dutchman's form "history in the making".

Toto Wolff was another team boss who had plenty of praise for Verstappen, saying that the pace and form shown is "as good as it gets as a driver".

Despite there being just five more races to go in 2025, top advisor Helmut Marko said that Red Bull has "something up our sleeve" before the season is done, giving Verstappen a potentially vital boost to continue his current title charge.