Ricciardo not fast enough for Ferrari? "Numbers compared to Verstappen don't lie"

Saward has already let us know that he is charmed by the choice for Sainz. According to the Brit, Sainz has proven at Toro Rosso that he is almost as fast as Max Verstappen, but is also a bit more careful and therefore often manages to get to the finish line. An ideal candidate for a second driver next to Charles Leclerc.

Ricciardo demonstrably not good enough

But also Ricciardo didn't do badly next to Verstappen at Red Bull Racing. However, the Australian had already arrived as a driver when Verstappen joined the team and the difference between the two actually became bigger and bigger at Red Bull in the following years. Saward thinks Ricciardo is demonstrably not good enough because of this.

"Personally, I would also prefer Sainz to Ricciardo, although he has a more human appearance, something that Ferrari could definitely use. But it's purely about the numbers and the numbers don't lie. From that you can conclude that Ricciardo is not as fast as Verstappen," said the motorsports journalist at the Missed Apex Podcast.

Did Ricciardo make the wrong choice?

Ricciardo has therefore sought refuge at McLaren, a decision that according to Saward he might still regret. Pat Fry, who was responsible for McLaren's resurrection in recent years, will leave for Renault. Moreover, Renault F1 still has the potentially deep pockets of a major car manufacturer behind it.