Max Verstappen believes it’s no surprise that Daniel Ricciardo has been impressing the Red Bull team after deciding to take a reset in his F1 career. Ricciardo joined Red Bull as their third driver this year. Aiming to rebuild his career following his departure from McLaren after two disappointing seasons.
Although Ricciardo initially seemed out of form during his initial runs in the team’s simulator. He quickly made significant progress and is now considered an important asset for the team. This week, he will have his first opportunity to drive Red Bull’s 2023 F1 car at the post-British Grand Prix Pirelli test at Silverstone. A strong performance during this test could increase his chances of securing a race seat for the 2024 season.
Verstappen, who has been closely working with Ricciardo this year. He believes that his impressive performance should have been expected given his talent. He notes that Ricciardo feels comfortable within the team and consciously took a step back to reset himself. Ricciardo’s familiarity with the team and his attentive approach in the simulator have contributed to his solid performance. Verstappen also highlights their close relationship, allowing them to discuss various topics. Seek each other’s opinions on different aspects of the team and future developments.
Ricciardo’s strong performances for Red Bull come at a time. When Sergio Perez, the regular driver, has faced scrutiny due to a series of disappointing qualifying results. Although Perez has a firm contract in place, his struggles in qualifying have sparked discussions about his seat being under pressure. When asked about Perez’s situation, Verstappen defers to team officials Helmut Marko and Christian Horner. But emphasizes that he is currently capable of fighting for the team championship on his own.
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