If anybody can unlock the true potential of the new regulations, it’ll be Adrian Newey so, though the Renault engine might still be behind Mercedes, they may just be able to close the gap.
Whether Red Bull are running at the back of the pack or challenging for race wins, you know we’ll get a good battle between the two teammates. Daniel Ricciardo, the more experienced of the two, is generally favoured to beat teenager Max Verstappen, but Red Bull motorsport adviser Helmut Marko believes Verstappen could take the title this season.
Could he though?
There’s no denying Verstappen has an insane amount of talent. Perhaps it’s the lack of junior series running, perhaps it’s because he’s so young, or maybe it’s just raw talent, but Verstappen’s risk taking is something we haven’t seen in Formula One for a while, and it definitely grabbed people’s attention.
The young Dutchman’s performance in the wet in Brazil was the stand out performance of the season last year and we can only expect more of the same.
But, even with these exciting performances, he was still beaten by Ricciardo in the team battle. Of the seventeen races the pair were actually teammates, Ricciardo outscored Verstappen in ten.
Of course, Ricciardo did have the advantage of having more experience in the RB12, something he won’t have this season, but his experience in F1 is most likely what gave him the edge over his young teammate. Ricciardo has five years in F1 compared to Verstappen’s two, and is an extremely talented driver in his own rights. If the Red Bull team were to be in the same position Mercedes has been in the past three years, there’s no way Verstappen would just walk away with the title. Not this season anyway.
And, of course, it’s unlikely Red Bull will be in the position to challenge for the title, as everyone expects Mercedes to enjoy another year at the top.
2018, though? That’s a different matter entirely.
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Will this season be Verstappen’s year or does Ricciardo have the best chance at bringing the fight to Mercedes? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below.
