Webber: "Ricciardo should focus on beating Verstappen"

Former Grand Prix driver Mark Webber has urged fellow countryman Daniel Ricciardo to stop focusing on his future and instead figure out how to out-perform teammate Max Verstappen. The two have been paired together at Red Bull since 2016, enjoying a friendly relationship.

Verstappen got the better of Ricciardo in qualifying last year, beating him on 13 out of 20 occasions. However, unreliability hampered Verstappen's season early on, with other engine problems hitting Ricciardo later in the season. Ricciardo finished above Verstappen in the standings, 32 points ahead.

Webber, who raced for Red Bull for seven years, believes that Ricciardo should figure out how to get the best of the young Dutchman. Ricciardo's contract runs out at the end of the 2018 season, with the five-time Grand Prix winner himself admitting he was keeping all options open.

"I think the best thing he can do is beat Max," Webber told Fox Sports Australia. "Which he knows, and he's going to do his best to do that. He wants to try and have a crack at that for five or six months, then look at the options.

"I don't think Mercedes will be rushing to make a decision either; they're going to keep a good eye on Valtteri [Bottas] and see how he's performing, probably until Canada. That's like dog's balls - everyone can see that coming.

"There's an obvious link - they're both out of contract, he's a top-flight driver, and there's a chance for a switch. But if he's beating Max and Red Bull are flying again, why would he leave? 

"At the end of the day, I don't think Dan's too bothered what colour the car is. He just wants to win. That's what he's aiming to do, and it's hard to win consistently. They don't hand them out. He's totally capable of it, but he's just got to find himself in a position where he can get that opportunity."