Max Verstappen has earned a reputation as a dominant force over his Formula 1 team-mates, often outperforming them decisively. Examining all his F1 partners offers insight into who posed the greatest challenge and who struggled most against the Dutch driver.

Following Jacques Villeneuve’s blunt assessment of Yuki Tsunoda as Verstappen’s weakest team-mate, this ranking evaluates each driver who has shared a garage with Verstappen. It highlights the competitive dynamics and outcomes across their seasons together.

Ranking Verstappen’s Closest Rivals and Struggling Team-Mates

The competitive history between Max Verstappen and his team-mates varies widely, from intense battles to clear dominant performances. Below is an ordered evaluation of all drivers who have lined up alongside Verstappen in Formula 1, starting with the most formidable adversary.

1. Daniel Ricciardo: Verstappen’s Most Formidable Adversary

Daniel Ricciardo stands out as Verstappen’s toughest Formula 1 competitor within the same team during their years at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018. Their rivalry was notably close, with Ricciardo being the only team-mate to finish an F1 Championship ahead of Verstappen.

While the 2016 season was abbreviated for Verstappen, who joined Red Bull midway and impressively won his debut race in Spain, Ricciardo outscored him across the full 2017 season, amassing 200 points to Verstappen’s 168. Red Bull was competitive enough to occasionally challenge Mercedes, and by 2018, Verstappen started gaining the upper hand, winning two races compared to Ricciardo’s single victory and finishing with 249 points to Ricciardo’s 170.

The mounting tension culminated in Ricciardo’s departure at the end of 2018, after securing seven race wins with the team. Although Ricciardo’s career waned afterward, his fight against Verstappen remains the closest challenge Verstappen has faced within his teams.

2. Sergio Perez: A Valuable Supporter and Occasional Challenger

Sergio Perez ranks second due to his role as a consistent multi-race winner alongside Verstappen during Red Bull’s rise to dominance. Joining as Verstappen’s team-mate from 2021, Perez played a key part in supporting Verstappen’s first World Championship.

Across three seasons, Perez started strongly but ultimately saw his title ambitions fade as Verstappen’s supremacy grew. He secured five Grand Prix victories with the team and finished runner-up to Verstappen in the 2023 Drivers’ Championship. However, Perez’s form declined during the onset of the 2024 season, leading to his exit from Red Bull at season’s end.

3. Carlos Sainz: The Debut Rival with a Promising Start

Carlos Sainz, Verstappen’s first F1 team-mate in 2015 at Toro Rosso, completes the podium. Both drivers debuted in Formula 1 simultaneously, sparking a rivalry amplified by the team’s management intent on pushing them toward Red Bull promotion.

Performance-wise, Sainz showed his raw speed by winning a qualifying head-to-head 10-9 against Verstappen that year. Despite this, Verstappen outscored him significantly by season’s end, earning 49 points to Sainz’s 18. When Daniil Kvyat’s exit forced a mid-season vacancy in early 2016, Red Bull chose Verstappen for the senior team.

Sainz has since built a solid career with four race wins but has yet to rejoin forces with Verstappen, despite occasional speculation about a reunion at Red Bull.

4. Alex Albon: A Promising Talent Derailed by Verstappen’s Pace

Alex Albon represents a younger driver who struggled to match Verstappen despite showing promise. Spending a season and a half as Verstappen’s Red Bull team-mate, Albon twice achieved podium finishes but never consistently threatened Verstappen’s pace, who was regularly contending for wins and championships by that time.

Red Bull demoted Albon to reserve driver in 2021, after which he returned to the grid with Williams. His time alongside Verstappen highlighted the steep challenge of competing against the Dutch driver during Red Bull’s period of dominance.

5. Pierre Gasly: A Brief and Difficult Tenure in the Senior Seat

After Ricciardo’s departure, Pierre Gasly was promoted to Verstappen’s team-mate at Red Bull in early 2019. However, Gasly struggled in the RB15 car, with his best finish being fourth place at Silverstone. His underperformance led to a mid-season demotion back to Toro Rosso, with Albon returning to take his spot.

This short stint underscored the challenges faced by drivers stepping into Verstappen’s shadow and Red Bull’s high expectations for their second driver.

6. Liam Lawson: A Brief Opportunity Cut Short

Liam Lawson’s experience as Verstappen’s team-mate was limited to only two races in 2025. Lawson failed to progress beyond Q1 in all his qualifying attempts, including finishing last in both the China Sprint and Grand Prix events.

Due to these difficulties and the team’s protection concerns, Red Bull promptly demoted Lawson, making room for Yuki Tsunoda in the second seat.

7. Yuki Tsunoda: The Struggles Behind Verstappen’s Dominance

Yuki Tsunoda has been widely regarded as Verstappen’s weakest competitor within the Red Bull fold, a sentiment shared by 1997 World Champion Jacques Villeneuve, who labeled him “the worst” Verstappen team-mate.

Driving the Red Bull RB21, which Verstappen won twice with, Tsunoda managed only seven points overall and failed to score in his last seven races. Despite his greater Formula 1 experience compared to Lawson, Tsunoda’s results highlight his challenges competing at this level against Verstappen.

Implications of Verstappen’s Dominance Over His Team-Mates

Verstappen’s consistent superiority over his team-mates illustrates his exceptional talent and growth as a Formula 1 driver. The range from competitive adversaries like Ricciardo to struggling partners such as Tsunoda underscores the pressure and high standards associated with sharing a garage with one of the sport’s current elite.

The varied performances also reflect the ongoing difficulty Red Bull faces in securing a second driver capable of matching Verstappen’s pace, an issue that will likely continue to influence driver selections and team dynamics moving forward in the championship.