The moment when Max Verstappen gained maturity according to Daniel Ricciardo

Max Verstappen has come a long way since its beginnings in Formula 1. The impatience and passion of his young years at Toro Rosso and Red Bull transformed into a maturity which made him a double champion of the discipline. Helmut Marko, special advisor to Red Bull, himself bowed to the Dutchman's progress. 

« He is now more relaxed. He is a much more mature driver, aa thus Austrian summary at the microphone of Sky Sports F1. In Budapest or Spa, at the first corner of the first lap (when Max Verstappen started in the middle of the pack), I wondered who was in the car. He let cars pass but once he had the field clear in front of him he showed all his class. He has taken a big step and I think we are not at the end of our surprises regarding his performances."

Former teammate of the Batavian in the red bull stable from 2016 to 2018, Daniel Ricciardo he also recognizes this development. He even judges that Verstappen's biggest step forward as a driver was during their last season together, in 2018. “In the first five or six races he made mistakes and he was in the wall a lot or involved in accidents”, remembers the Perth native on the Formula 1 website. The Australian knows what he is talking about, since he was involved in one of these accidents, in Baku.

The crash between the Red Bulls in Baku

“Then, throughout this year… It’s as if he had a realization and had taken a step in his maturity. It's natural, we all go through it. From the middle of that season he became a more complete driver”, believes Daniel Ricciardo.

However, Max Verstappen's characteristic ardor was once again highlighted during his duel with Lewis Hamilton for winning the 2021 title, punctuated by several mishaps between the two men, notably at Monza. Ricciardo also took the opportunity to achieve his last victory in Formula 1 to date. 

The accident between Hamilton and Verstappen at Monza

“Obviously, when you fight for a title, you push your limits a little more, judges the winner of this 2021 Italian Grand Prix. The fight between him and Lewis was controversial because it was also the one between Red Bull and Mercedes. So there was a lot of intensity around that. This year the battle was less tense so he probably didn't need to put himself in such a position. »

As for a possible harvest of world titles for Verstappen in the years to come, the one who will be replaced by his compatriot Oscar piastri in McLaren in 2023 does not prefer to move forward. “It is always difficult to predict who will be world champion. However, I think you can recognize drivers who have the talent to become one and I saw it in him. I'm not surprised by its success. Now, predicting this will be his second title out of five or his second title out of three, it's hard to know because you need the right team and the right car. »

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