Max Verstappen learned 'the most' from this F1 driver, according to father Jos

Max Verstappen's father, Jos, claims the Dutchman learned the most from his former Red Bull teammate, Daniel Ricciardo. The duo paired up for the Austrian team from 2016 to 2018.

Daniel Ricciardo was the reigning world champion's longest teammate yet. Red Bull only managed to find a suitable replacement for Ricciardo with Sergio Perez in 2021. While the Perez-Ricciardo debate is one that has captured the minds of fans since 2021, Jos Verstappen believes the latter was his son's best-ever teammate.

He told Formula 1 magazine:

“I do think maybe he learned the most from Daniel Ricciardo - a nice peer he got on very well with. Max was a young guy then and Ricciardo really good - a qualifying beast.”

Continuing on why Daniel Ricciardo is not doing well at the moment, Jos Verstappen said:

“I also think the car suited him well then and that’s a bit Ricciardo’s problem now. The car doesn’t suit him so well. There are things that don’t suit Ricciardo so well and that’s why it’s not coming out."

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Former driver lauds Max Verstappen as a generational talent

Former driver and F1 TV pundit Karun Chandhok lauded Max Verstappen as a generational talent. The former compared the Red Bull champion to the likes of Lewis Hamilton, Michael Schumacher, and Ayrton Senna. The Dutchman is the 2022 F1 world champion, having secured his second consecutive title in the sport at the 2022 Japanese GP.

There is no denying Verstappen's raw pace and composed driving. Following his title defense, the Red Bull driver has joined the ranks of Fernando Alonso, Mika Hakkinen, and Jim Clark. Chandhok acknowledged Verstappen's dominance in 2022, claiming that his drives at Spa and Monza were highly impressive.

Chandok said:

“I think we’ve seen a different Max. Think those drives we saw at places like Spa and Monza where he was considerate, he didn’t go for those half gaps that we saw him go for in the past for example, and he just picked his way through the field."

He added:

“And listen, he is a once-in-a-generation talent like Lewis, like Fernando, like Michael, like Senna."

Max Verstappen can now break Michael Schumacher and Sebastian Vettel's record for the most race wins in a single season - with 13. However, with the battle for second place in the championship still going strong, the Dutchman will have to fight for his place in the history books yet again.