Daniel Ricciardo feels the competitive yet collaborative partnership between himself and Max Verstappen has greatly improved Red Bull this season.
The two drivers are the only men to have taken wins away from both Mercedes in 2016 and have been consistently faster than Ferrari for much of the season.
Verstappen has proven to be super quick and put Ricciardo under pressure right from the start of their time as teammates. However, having seen what the other is capable of, both now look to have formed a formidable partnership, moving Red Bull forward.
“Every time I get in the car I am trying to get the most out of it,” Ricciardo was quoted by Crash.net
“If Max carries speed through one corner then maybe I can come off the brakes sooner and carry that. Your level naturally rises if you have a quicker team-mate that keeps pushing you.”
With 2017 looming, and both drivers now cemented in the Red Bull Racing outfit, their partnership is likely to continue being fierce and competitive, but it’s clear both respect each other on and off the track, something which could prove integral if they find themselves in a title battle in the near future.
New regulations next season are aimed at creating cars up to three to four seconds faster per lap and that means a whole new ball game will be brought to some drivers.
Ricciardo has had the upper hand in qualifying against Verstappen since their partnership began, but the young teenager has been gaining ever closer to his Aussie teammate, even bettering him on occasions.
“If you are quicker over a whole lap, you don’t realise how much quicker you can go”. Ricciardo added
“But as soon as someone starts going quicker in some corners, then maybe that corner can be better, from that we can take bits out of each other’s corners and then reach a level that is bringing the team forward.”
