“He’s definitely polished off that aggression”– Daniel Ricciardo reveals how Max Verstappen upped his game since 2018

Tanish Chachra | 30/11/2021
"He's definitely polished off that aggression"– Daniel Ricciardo reveals how Max Verstappen upped his game since 2018

Daniel Ricciardo served for Red Bull with Max Verstappen for a significantly long time, and now he reveals how he has gotten better.

In the last couple of years, Max Verstappen has seen the most astronomical rise. The Dutchman has taken a massive leap in his career from being a carefree young driver tending to make reckless mistakes to now an almost championship mirror.

There was never a doubt about his potential. But the mistakes by him were sometimes frustrating. Daniel Ricciardo has had a first-hand experience of it.

And now, almost three years of separating ways, Ricciardo holds only positive opinions about the 24-year-old. He talks about how as a former teammate, he can analyse Verstappen’s growth.

“I don’t know if, as a former teammate, I have more knowledge than anyone else watching from the outside. Teammate or not: we know Max, the caliber of his driving style, how he races,” said Ricciardo to Motorsport.

“He came in with an aggressive approach, but he has matured over time. He finds himself less in incidents or accidents than I think he was in his first year in F1.

“He’s definitely polished off that aggression, but it’s definitely still there. I don’t think much has changed over the years. Like I said, he’s matured since his freshman year, but his approach hasn’t changed.”

“That’s in a way what I’ve always respected. You know you have tough duels with Max,” added Ricciardo.

Also read: Daniel Ricciardo confesses gap against Lando Norris is too overwhelming for him; something he is facing for first time

Max Verstappen is just two races away

With the 2021 season is coming to an end, the two title protagonists Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton, have reached the end of the wire. But only eight points separate them.

Therefore, it would be nerve-wracking pressure for the Dutchman, vying against one of the greatest F1 drivers ever. The momentum after the last two races with the Briton.

However, Verstappen can technically seal his title victory in Jeddah if Hamilton has a fateful day at work on the coming Sunday.

Also read: McLaren F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo talks about the influence The GOAT had on him

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Daniel Ricciardo Max Verstappen McLaren Red Bull

About the author

Tanish Chachra

Tanish Chachra is the Motorsport editor at The SportsRush. He saw his first race when F1 visited India in 2011, and since then, his romance with the sport has been seasonal until he took up this role in 2020. Reigniting F1's coverage on this site, Tanish has fallen in love with the sport all over again. He loves Kimi Raikkonen and sees a future world champion in Oscar Piastri. Away from us, he loves to snuggle inside his books.

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