Daniel Ricciardo dismisses Lewis Hamilton experience in Max Verstappen title fight

Verstappen and Hamilton after the Russian Grand Prix — Photo: © LAT Images

United States Grand Prix

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Ricciardo dismisses Hamilton experience in Verstappen title fight

Verstappen leads by six points with six races to go in his first championship battle

Ian Parkes & Ewan Gale

Friday 22 October 2021 05:00

Daniel Ricciardo believes Lewis Hamilton's experience in F1 title fights will not make a difference against a 'stable-headed' Max Verstappen.

Verstappen leads the seven-time champion by six points with the same number of races remaining, starting with this weekend's United States Grand Prix.

Whilst Hamilton has been on both the winning and losing side of championship fights that have gone to the wire in previous years, this is Dutchman Verstappen's first fight.

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The standings have ebbed and flowed all season, with the Mercedes and Red Bull drivers swapping places, enduring nightmarish weekends and colliding with each other on multiple occasions, setting up a tantalising finish to the year.

Asked what he could see in his former Red Bull team-mate that could help him win the title, Ricciardo replied: "He has shown it all year really but also the last few years.

"There was that stage in Max's young career where he had the speed but there was still a few... I don't know, call it mistakes or over-anxiousness but you know, he quickly cleared that up.

"I think 2018 was really that year where he kind of learned from that and the second half of his season was really strong. You could kind of see that click in maturity on track and the last few seasons for him have been pretty immense."

On Hamilton's experience, Ricciardo commented: "Although Lewis has the experience of winning world titles, I don't really see that as an advantage now.

"They are both capable, Lewis has proven it, but Max is capable and he has a pretty stable head on his shoulders now.

"He has proven that with some of the drives he has done this year so I am kind of at the point where I am just looking at where it unfolds.

"Obviously, I am not part of that battle but from a fan point of view, you just want it to go to the end. They have been nip and tuck all year, it has been good to watch.

"I do think Max is capable of it. Time will tell."