Beating Vettel gives Ricciardo confidence

Australian driver Daniel Ricciardo is feeding off of the confidence he has gained by regularly beating team-mate Sebastian Vettel.

When the 25-year-old made the move from sister outfit Toro Rosso to Red Bull Racing, not many would have expected the grinning Aussie to have had such an impact.

Sitting alongside Sebastian Vettel, a man who had taken four consecutive Formula One World Championships, Ricciardo should have been squarely put in his place whilst he settled into a new team.

But from the outset Ricciardo looked strong, taking a podium finish from his home Grand Prix in Australia only to later be disqualified for a fuel rule break.

Despite the loss of those 18 points, Ricciardo still stands 23 points clear of Vettel in the Formula One World Championship, dominating him in both qualifying and in the race.

Whilst Vettel’s best finishes have come at Malaysia and Canada where he stood on the final step of the podium, Ricciardo has also stood on the podium at Spain and Monaco and won his maiden Grand Prix in Canada.

So has Ricciardo’s rise been a surprise? It has for him.

‘I’ve got the better of him both in qualifying and the race, which has been surprising,’ Ricciardo told the BBC.

‘I came into the season knowing what I had around me and if I could use it all, I could challenge Seb.

‘Did I think it would be 6-2 in qualifying and I would be leading him in the championship? Probably not.

‘It’s been reassuring. I’ve always believed in my ability but to go out and do it does a lot for your confidence.’