Daniel Ricciardo has always been a top talent and one that many teams wanted to prize out of Red Bull. When he made the move, however, he shocked many by going to Renault.

But, he has now started to shine at Renault – an unusual circumstance, considering he is moving to McLaren in three races’ time. However, he reminded viewers why he is still one of the best drivers on the grid.

Whilst talking to a podcast, Ricciardo spoke about the importance of a teammate and how it takes on a different meaning in Formula 1. So much so that underperformance from a driver in comparison to his teammate could even lead to an end of the road in the sport.

Daniel Ricciardo believes the battle between teammates is a “serious rivalry”

Ricciardo stated, “It’s such a weird one because it’s like ‘teammate’ but I think there’s team respect in a teammate. But a lot of the time a mate turns into not hate, but it’s a serious rivalry.”

The Australian knows from his time at Red Bull that things can get intense in pursuit of being a top dog at the team. Many maintain, to this day, that Max Verstappen was one reason for Ricciardo’s departure.

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“You can make or break a career you know. Like if my teammate this year beat me 20 races to 0, then my career is probably done. There’s a lot on the line and a teammate can make you look really good or really silly so there’s always that tension.” concluded Ricciardo on the topic.

Ricciardo has been comfortably ahead of his teammates at Renault F1

Naturally, the 31-year-old has been quite the star at the French manufacturer’s works team. He has helped the team achieve two podiums in 2020, pleasing everyone at the company.

Ricciardo has also been the superior driver in contrast to both Nico Hulkenberg and now Esteban Ocon during his time at Renault. In 2019, Ricciardo finished 9th ahead of Hulkenberg, who finished 14th. While currently in 2020, the former is in 6th and Ocon is in 12th as it stands.

However, teammates can be an actual source of anxiety for securing a future at an F1 team. At the moment though, Daniel Ricciardo has nothing to worry about.