Daniel Ricciardo says he views his battle with teammate Max Verstappen as another chance to prove himself.
Whilst the Australian has just about held the edge since Verstappen’s surprise promotion from Toro Rosso, it was the Dutchman who claimed victory at the Spanish Grand Prix whilst the top step has proven elusive for his team-mate.
With Verstappen now just 18 points behind the Aussie, the duo is braced for an enthralling scrap in the latter half of the campaign – a fight which Ricciardo welcomes and believes pushes Red Bull forward.
“I think it’s pushed me to another level and Max is in his game,” he told Motorsport.com.
“I mean, I’ve said it for a while now, I want to be tested in Formula 1. Obviously I believe I can be world champion, that’s my target, but if I don’t, then at least I can say ‘Well, I tried and, OK, I’m not the best in the world, there is someone better than me’. But I like to learn.
“And I think Max is a really good challenge. Obviously he’s got a whole lot of steam and love behind him. It’s a bit like Seb [Vettel], if I can get on top of Max, I think it’s only going to bode well for my future improvement.”
Verstappen, a man touted as a multiple world champion in the future, has understandably snatched the spotlight, but Ricciardo is happy for his teammate to enjoy the additional publicity provided he too has his fair share of success.
“It’s pretty hectic at such a young age,” he said. “He’s more mature than anything, he’s been around for a while. Sometimes it’s nice to go a bit under the radar.
“Sure he should get praise when it’s true for him, but I wanna make sure that I’m getting my praise that I deserve as well.”
The 27-year old was linked with a move to Ferrari earlier this year, publicly voicing his frustration with Red Bull after being denied victory in Monaco, but has since extended his contract, and, as such, the Milton Keynes outfit will retain their highly-rated pairing for a number of years.
