Daniel Ricciardo has what it takes to be a world champion, former F1 driver and team owner Gerhard Berger believes.
The Austrian says he has no doubt that Ricciardo can win one or more championships if he’s given the right car to do so.
“This is a new star,” said Berger. “He hasn’t made any mistakes this season.
“If the car were to fit right, he could become world champion.”
The Australian has been Mercedes’ only real rival so far this year and that’s reflected in the points. Ricciardo is just 39 points adrift of Lewis Hamilton and would be even closer had he not been disqualified from second in Melbourne.
His four-time championship winning team-mate however is struggling to match the 24-year-old.
“We know how fast and good [Sebastian] Vettel is, but Ricciardo is the benchmark at the moment,” added Berger.
Ricciardo heads to the Austrian Grand Prix in a week as the only non-Mercedes driver to have won a race in 2014.
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