The 2025 Formula 1 season will see Max Verstappen joined by a new driver at Red Bull Racing.
After four seasons alongside Sergio Perez, the decision was made after the 2024 campaign to bring in a new driver to race alongside Max Verstappen.
Red Bull lost out on the Constructors’ Championship as Perez finished 285 points behind the Dutchman last year.
After some deliberation between team principal Christian Horner and Red Bull’s shareholders, it was decided that Liam Lawson would be Red Bull’s newest driver.
Lawson will be the sixth teammate Verstappen has had in Formula 1, although he only raced alongside Carlos Sainz during his time at Toro Rosso.
In an interview with Blick, Verstappen has been asked about his Red Bull teammates in the past ahead of the Kiwi’s promotion.
While Verstappen has been very complimentary about Perez and raced alongside him more than any other driver, he instead chose Daniel Ricciardo as his strongest teammate.
Ricciardo raced alongside Verstappen on 58 occasions, before moving on to join Renault in 2019.
After one brief exit from the sport at the end of the 2022 campaign, Ricciardo said goodbye to F1 at the Singapore Grand Prix last year to make way for Lawson.
Max Verstappen names Daniel Ricciardo as his strongest Red Bull F1 teammate
Verstappen was asked who his strongest teammate at Red Bull has been so far and said: “Definitely Daniel Ricciardo, I was able to learn the most from him.
“I absorbed a lot and incorporated it into my experiences.”
READ MORE: Daniel Ricciardo’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
The Dutchman was then asked about Perez’s most recent campaign and explained: “It’s a shame because we were a good team for four years – and Sergio was always loyal.
“That’s a quality I really appreciate.”
Verstappen was then asked if he was worried about Lawson and unsurprisingly gave a straightforward answer: “If we can get the car back to the front, the name in the other cockpit won’t matter.”
Lawson has his work cut out up against Verstappen given how well he drove last year even when he didn’t have the fastest car.
The 22-year-old’s lack of experience against a driver who has built a team around him over the course of the last nine years will immediately put him on the back foot.
Daniel Ricciardo’s final act helped Max Verstappen win his fourth F1 championship
It didn’t take long back in 2016 for Ricciardo to feel the pressure from Verstappen after he was promoted to replace Daniil Kvyat ahead of the Spanish Grand Prix.
The Dutchman won his first race for the team and speaking later in that season to Sky Sports, Ricciardo said: “I always felt I was at the limit up to that point when Max arrived. What probably sparked the driver change was that I was performing quite well compared to Daniil [Kvyat] from testing through to Russia.
“Then Max came on board and, obviously I thought I was driving at my limit, but I guess there was something a little bit more and I feel we have probably both given each other that. I feel Max has lifted his game even more, and I have.
“So it’s cool to know we have a little bit more in the tank.”
READ MORE: Red Bull driver Max Verstappen’s life outside F1 from net worth to girlfriend
Although Verstappen and Ricciardo hadn’t been teammates for some time, they were still close friends away from the circuit.
Ricciardo admitted he expected a present from Verstappen after stealing the fastest lap point away from his title rival Lando Norris during his final race in Singapore.
That may be his final ever act in Formula 1, but it was their record racing against each other that proves how closely matched they were.
| Max Verstappen | Daniel Ricciardo | |
| Poles | 0 | 3 |
| Wins | 5 | 4 |
| Podiums | 22 | 19 |
| Points | 608 | 590 |
| Best Finish | 4th (2018) | 3rd (2016) |
Verstappen started ahead of Ricciardo on 33 out of 58 occasions, finishing ahead of him 32 times compared to the Australian’s 24 better finishes when they both reached the chequered flag.
The 27-year-old won one more race (5-4) than Ricciardo during their time together, and while Ricciardo stood on the top step of the podium twice more after departing Red Bull, Verstappen has gone on to much bigger things.
