Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull because of Max Verstappen says Franz Tost

Toro Rosso boss Franz Tost believes that Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull because of the threat that Max Verstappen posed to him. The Dutchman is one of the most talented drivers on the grid and the team had made it clear that he would be the one that is favored in the future. Ricciardo saw that he was not as favored and chose to find a different team. 

"Max is currently one of the fastest drivers,” the Toro Rosso boss told Motorsport.com.

“I think one reason why Ricciardo left was certainly Max. Because he thought to himself: 'I won't beat him so easily anymore’."

“He realized that he doesn't always have to go through the wall with his head,” Tost said.

“Now he's reached a level where he'll compete for victories and the world championship if everything comes together.

"He also showed super overtaking maneuvers where you didn't get the impression that it was on a knife's edge. He really has this maturity now that makes it possible for a driver to compete for a world championship.”

Daniel Ricciardo's move to Renault is yet to pay off but the Australian will hope that they can build up to race-winning form over the next few years.