BARCELONA: Max Verstappen believes Daniel Ricciardo remains one of the fastest drivers in Formula One despite the Australian failing to finish on the podium last year in his first season at Renault.

Verstappen, 22, and the 30-year-old Ricciardo were paired at Red Bull for three seasons before Ricciardo elected to move to Renault on a two-year deal from 2019, a decision that moved Red Bull team principal Christian Horner to describe Ricciardo's defection as "running from a fight" with his younger teammate.

Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were teammates at Red Bull before Ricciardo's move to Renault last year. Credit:PA

Ricciardo and Verstappen were evenly matched for much of their time together and enjoyed an amicable working relationship despite occasional flashpoints, the most dramatic coming in the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix when the duo clashed at high speed, taking one another out of the race.

Asked by The Age if Formula One was poorer for Ricciardo not featuring at the sharp end of the field last season after the Red Bull, Mercedes and Ferrari drivers annexed 60 of the 63 available podium places, Verstappen was quick to reference the Australian's speed.