Ricciardo: Max is so good it's almost funny!

      Daniel Ricciardo believes that performances like the one we saw from Max Verstappen in Austin make the 2025 World Championship even more exciting, as the Dutch Red Bull Racing driver can once again be considered a genuine title contender. Convincing wins in both races of the American weekend earned Max 33 points, and because the leader in the drivers' standings, Oscar Piastri, scored only 10, the Australian's lead was cut by 23 points. There are still five Grands Prix and two sprints to run before the end of the season. If things continue like this and Piastri does not return to the form he showed in the first half of the season, his title chances will become remote. After the Dutch round he had a 104-point lead over Verstappen, and now that margin has been reduced to 40. The same can be said of Lando Norris, who is only 26 points behind Verstappen. Daniel Ricciardo, Max’s former teammate, had not been in the paddock for a long time, but he was in Austin last weekend, where he actively promoted sportswear from his brand Enchante and mingled with fans.

      Commenting on Verstappen’s bright successes at the US Grand Prix, Daniel said: "Meanwhile Max is already calling the restaurant and ordering his medium-rare steak for the evening. Ha-ha, Max is so good that it becomes funny! I know I’m stating the obvious, but I want to say that Max is really making this championship even more thrilling than it already was because of the rivalry between Oscar and Lando."

      Ricciardo also spoke in support of Yuki Tsunoda, another of his former teammates, who finished seventh in both races last weekend: "Yuki stood out two days in a row — he was doing pretty well."