Lewis Hamilton may go into this weekend’s Australian Grand Prix as the overwhelming favourite to clinch a fifth world title, but away from his battle with Sebastian Vettel lies another thrilling duel with the Red Bull drivers.
The Milton Keynes outfit boasts perhaps the strongest drivers’ line-up on the grid this season in Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen.
The charismatic pair have mutual off-the-track respect for each other, but with a more reliable car at their disposal, this could be the year we see fireworks as the pair tussle for the right to be Red Bull’s No1 driver.
While he has still not turned 21, Verstappen is in his fourth season in F1 and continues to emerge as a threat to Hamilton’s dominance, while Ricciardo – who is entering the final year of his contract at Red Bull – has made no secrets of his aspirations to be a world champion one day.
Consistent and aggressive, both drivers have the chance to improve on last season’s finishes in a far more competitive car – with Verstappen primed for a title assault if his car stays reliable.
The Dutchman is fearless and unintimidated – and an exceptional talent who can push it to the limit against all opposition.
Ricciardo, meanwhile, is the best overtaker on the grid but questions remain whether he has the bottle to be a world champion.
Though Ricciardo has outscored Verstappen in both their seasons together, the latter had a superior qualifying record in 2017 – 13-7 – but only finished on the podium four times.
In contrast, the Australian came third or better on nine of the 14 races he completed last season.
Despite retiring from seven of the 20 races due to engine failure, Verstappen – who signed a new contract in October until the end of 2020 – finished ahead of his team-mate every time both cars made the chequered flag.
And although he may reflect on 2017 as a mixed campaign, the 20-year-old showed terrific mental strength to bounce back and claim two victories in Malaysia and Mexico.
Four successive drivers’ championships between 2010 and 2013 may be a distant memory for Red Bull – with Mercedes dominating every year since – but a strong pre-season shows signs of them returning to the top.
A good chassis and a strong Renault-powered engine should put them in a position to challenge Mercedes more than Ferrari this season, but early wins and solid reliability are necessary before any signs of improvement are notably visible.
While Ricciardo heads into his home race in Melbourne hoping to kick-start his season on a positive note – despite receiving a three-place gird penalty for speeding under red flag conditions on Friday – he is facing an uncertain future at Red Bull.
With Valtteri Bottas and Kimi Raikkonen entering the final year on their respective deals, a driver merry-go-round could take place at the end of the campaign with the Australian a front runner to secure one of the Mercedes or Ferrari seats.
Primed to be a world champion, Ricciardo, now 28, may need to move away from Red Bull to make this dream a reality, especially knowing only one driver can be a world champion from the factory. Special preference is bound to act in Verstappen’s favour if he continues to improve on the heights of the last two campaigns.
No matter how likeable Verstappen and Ricciardo are, or how their friendship is off the track, there’s only one winner at the end of the season.
Hamilton may lift the title for a fifth time in November, but this could be the year we see one of Verstappen and Ricciardo close in as a serious contender for the world championship.
