Daniel Ricciardo breaks F1 silence to hail “ridiculous” Max Verstappen after US GP win

Former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has heaped praise on Max Verstappen following his dominant victory at the 2025 United States Grand Prix.

Verstappen controlled Sunday’s race at the Circuit of the Americas to win from pole position.

His third win in four rounds means he’s now only 40 points behind Oscar Piastri with five races to go.

The Dutchman’s scintillating form has put him in unlikely title contention, particularly given Red Bull’s improvement in recent rounds.

Ricciardo, who was teammates with Verstappen between 2016 and 2018 at Red Bull, reacted to the US GP via a WhatsApp fan chat throughout the race.

The Australian called Verstappen “ridiculous” after his latest triumph in Austin.

“Haha yeah. Max is ridiculous. Kid’s so good. Yes, I am stating the obvious now,” Ricciardo wrote.

Ricciardo gave fans constant reaction and insight during the race at COTA.

Verstappen’s resurgence means he has an outside shot at a fifth consecutive championship.

It wasn’t long ago that Verstappen was more than 100 points behind Piastri in the standings.

A recent Red Bull upgrade has transformed the RB21, making it more driveable - and, more importantly, to Verstappen’s liking.

It has coincided with a dip in form for Piastri, who endured a difficult United States GP.

The Australian finished a distant fifth as he struggled to match Lando Norris’ impressive pace.

Ricciardo conceded that Verstappen’s late-season form is making the title battle “even more exciting than it already was”.

“I am looking forward to it and Max is keeping this championship even more exciting than it already was.”