In the land of briskets and cowboy hats, the championship title faces its 17th round of racing. In what has been an intense journey so far for Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, no one really knows who has the guaranteed win. So, we have teams. And, a very important member and possibly the frontman of Team Verstappen, has been none other than Daniel Ricciardo. As his former teammate, Ricciardo reflected on Verstappen’s journey to title contention.

Over the course of Verstappen’s eight-year-long F1 career, the Aussie shared three years with him at Red Bull. Looking back at the driver he was back then, and who he is now, Ricciardo believes Max has what it takes to take the title home.

Ricciardo reviewed Verstappen, “There was a time in Max’s young career when he had the speed, but still made a few mistakes and was a bit over-anxious or over-eager. But he turned that off quickly.”

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Currently, with a six points advantage over his rival, Verstappen has been cool, calm, and collected. According to Daniel, this clicked in 2018. “He learned from everything. In the second half of the season, he was really strong and you could see the new maturity on the track.” Ricciardo believes it is this change that makes Verstappen fit to take the crown.

Daniel Ricciardo remains loyal to Max Verstappen

Ricciardo is in awe of the championship battle. Lewis Hamilton has been ruthless on the track and is determined to win the record-breaking title. However, with Verstappen’s growth as a driver and incredible performance, Ricciardo knows it’s anyone’s game. “They are both capable.”

Although Daniel is impressed with Hamilton defending his title relentlessly, he revealed his obvious favorite. “Lewis has proven [his capability], but Max has what it takes. He’s got a pretty stable head on his shoulders. He’s proven that with a few races this year.”

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Verstappen’s former teammate isn’t the only one who has his back; his current teammate, Sergio Perez, backed Ricciardo’s analysis. In describing his teammate as ‘quite relaxed”, Checo explained, “He focuses on each race individually. He is aware that anything can happen at any weekend.”

Nonetheless, Daniel Ricciardo is eager to see how the season will surmount for Verstappen. “I’m excited to see how it will develop. I’m not part of the fight, of course, but from a fan perspective, you want it to go to the end. But it was all year round anyway. It was nice to see.”

As fans and drivers alike look in amazement at what has been a thrilling 2021 season, the US Grand Prix is another step towards the finale. Will Verstappen impede Hamilton’s record-setting win, lifting the trophy for the first time in his F1 career? It’s only a moment of time before we find out.

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