Max Verstappen vs Daniel Ricciardo
Red Bull • 2016-2018
Key Stats
Verdict
Daniel Ricciardo leads this matchup across most statistical categories.
The Rivalry
Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo formed one of the most compelling and combustible teammate pairings of the modern era at Red Bull between 2016 and 2018. The dynamic shifted dramatically the moment Verstappen arrived: promoted from Toro Rosso early in 2016, the teenager won on his very first appearance for the team at the Spanish Grand Prix, instantly establishing himself as a future star alongside the established Ricciardo.
What followed were three seasons of intense, often abrasive competition. The two were closely matched — Ricciardo's late-braking, opportunistic racecraft against Verstappen's raw, aggressive speed — and the points tally between them remained remarkably tight across their time together. The tension simmered as both fought for the same overtaking opportunities, sometimes against each other.
It boiled over in Azerbaijan in 2018, when the pair collided while battling for position, eliminating both cars and earning a stern rebuke from the team. The incident underscored the difficulty of containing two ambitious drivers in one garage. By season's end Ricciardo, sensing the team was building around Verstappen, departed for Renault.
Defining Moments
- Spain 2016 — On his Red Bull debut, Verstappen won the Spanish Grand Prix to become the youngest race winner in F1 history, immediately raising the stakes inside the team.
- Azerbaijan 2018 — The defining flashpoint: the pair crashed into each other while fighting for position in Baku, taking both cars out and prompting public apologies to the team.
- Monaco 2018 — Ricciardo produced a masterful drive to win Monaco despite an MGU-K failure that cost him power, a high point of his Red Bull tenure.
- End of 2018 — With the team's future increasingly oriented around Verstappen, Ricciardo made the shock decision to leave Red Bull for Renault.
The Verdict
This was a genuinely even contest across their three years together, with their wins and points running neck and neck. Ricciardo edged the overall scoring during the period, but Verstappen's qualifying advantage and ever-rising trajectory hinted at what was to come. The fact that Ricciardo ultimately chose to leave rather than continue the fight spoke volumes about how the balance of power inside Red Bull was tilting toward the younger man.