Hamilton has only failed to beat a team-mate in the F1 drivers' championship on two occasions, being outscored by Jenson Button in 2012 before Nico Rosberg took the drivers' championship this season.

Ricciardo says he will see out his contract with Red Bull despite the vacancy at Mercedes, but when asked if he thinks he could beat Hamilton in a straight fight he told The Age in Australia: "Absolutely. It's something that I've been asked a few times - who would you love as a team-mate and all that - and Lewis was one that I was always saying.

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"Obviously I think that he is massively talented and...I think we would have a good fight, and, yeah, I'd have confidence that I could get the job done."

Lewis Hamilton (Mercedes), Daniel Ricciardo (Red Bull) - GP of Belgium 2016 Image credit: AFP

With Hamilton saying during the FIA Prize Giving in Vienna that he feels Ricciardo is the driver he is most similar to and hopes to spend more time with socially in 2017, the Australian says they get on well but are far from close.

"It's a tough one. He's never had anything bad to say about me. He's always been nice to me, but sure he has days where he likes to keep to himself.

"Some days we'll chat and other days we won't and that's just that. But at the same time, it's, sure I've made a few friends in the sport, but it's not our primary purpose of being here so I'm not expecting him to call me...and he's not expecting the same from me. It's just how it is, he's got his own things going on...he's sort of doing his thing really."

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