David Coulthard names the best overtaker in Formula 1 now that Daniel Ricciardo is off the grid

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Daniel Ricciardo built a reputation as Formula 1’s bravest wheel-to-wheel racer during his time in the sport. Ricciardo became synonymous with late-braking manoeuvres that caught his rivals off-guard.

The Australian rarely had the fastest car on track, which meant he had to rely on his overtaking skills in most of his Grand Prix victories. Arguably his best move came at the 2018 Chinese Grand Prix, when he surprised Mercedes driver Valtteri Bottas with a lunge at turn six.

Ricciardo said after the race that ‘sometimes you just have to lick the stamp and send it’. That iconic quote summed up his approach.

After leaving Red Bull at the end of 2018, he predominantly battled in the midfield with Renault, McLaren and RB. Indeed, he only scored three podiums following his exit, though one of those was an unforgettable victory at Monza in 2021.

Ricciardo has now lost his spot on the grid, with his F1 career seemingly at an end. Liam Lawson has replaced him for the final six races of 2024, the second time he’s been dropped in three seasons.

In the most recent episode of the Formula for Success podcast, David Coulthard and Alex Jacques built their ‘ultimate F1 driver’. And one of the areas they assessed was overtaking.

Why David Coulthard thinks Max Verstappen is the best overtaker in Formula 1

Coulthard likened Max Verstappen to Ricciardo in that the driver in front can never keep them at bay. The difference with Verstappen is that he’s willing to risk both cars going off the track if his opponent doesn’t yield.

The Red Bull driver sealed his first title with one of F1’s great overtakes, passing Lewis Hamilton in Abu Dhabi ‘a straight earlier’ than many expected. That move has been somewhat overshadowed by the bitter controversy surrounding the race.

Jacques countered that Hamilton was more deserving of the ‘best overtaker’ mantle given his commitment to clean racing. He recalled the 2014 ‘duel in the desert‘, where he won an epic battle with Mercedes teammate Nico Rosberg.

“Of the modern era drivers, Daniel Ricciardo [is] just fantastic when it comes to late braking,” Coulthard said. “Whenever he was, in that early phase of his career, behind someone, you knew a move was going to happen.

“The way in ’21 [Verstappen] overtook Lewis a straight earlier than I even would have considered doing it was just absolute belief and commitment. I’ll just fall with Max of the current drivers, where you know if he’s behind, he’s either coming through and passing you, or you’re both going off.”

Jacques replied: “With that in mind I’m going for Lewis. So many brilliant moves, lots of wheel-to-wheel stuff. Of course, if you run at the front for your entire career, you’re going to have a few collisions along the way.

“I think back to Bahrain 2014, when Rosberg was just better around the circuit, [and had] better tyres. He should have won, he was passing and re-passing, as close as I’ve ever seen to a masterclass of overtaking in Formula 1 – it was brilliant.”

The one word David Coulthard would use to describe Lewis Hamilton

Verstappen illustrated Coulthard’s point at the Austrian Grand Prix, where he collided with Lando Norris as he tried to hold onto the lead. The stewards awarded him a 10-second penalty.

The Dutchman has avoided any incidents since then, aside from a clash with Hamilton at the Hungarian GP that briefly launched his car onto the air and cost him a position. But he may have to dial the aggression back up if Norris can significantly reduce his 52-point lead in the final six races.

Verstappen is looking become just the fifth driver in F1 history to win four straight titles. Coulthard has called Hamilton the ‘GOAT’ but feels he’s ‘met his match’ in the 27-year-old.

In a separate interview this week, Guenther Steiner named Verstappen as the best driver in F1. He feels that he has an edge on Hamilton when it comes to hunger and drive.