Following Verstappen⛄’s eighth victory of the season at the Circuit of the Americas last time out, he sits 12 points clear o♏f Hamilton with five rounds remaining.

F1 heads to Mexico this weekend with Vไerstappen winning at the Autodromo Hermanos Rodriguez in 2017 and 2018, while he was fastest in qualifying a year later before picking up a p🐻enalty for failing to slow down for yellow flags.

Ricciardo was Verstappen’s teammate for just unde💫r three seasons and he thinks the Dutchman has shown qualities of a world champion over the last ✤few seasons.

“He has shown it all year really but also the last few years,” he said.  There was that s💮tage in Max's young career where he had the speed but there was still a few... I don't know, call𒉰 it mistakes or over-anxiousness but you know, he quickly cleared that up.

“I think 2018 was real𝔉ly that year where he kind of learned from that and the second half of his season was really strong. You could kღind of see that click in maturity on track and the last few seasons for him have been pretty immense.”

The McL൩aren driver doesn’t see Hamilton’s experience being a factor in deciding the destination of this year’s title.

“Although Lewis has 🥂the experience of winning world titles, I don't really see that as an advantage now,” he added. “They are bo🌞th capable, Lewis has proven it, but Max is capable and he has a pretty stable head on his shoulders now.

“He has proven that with some of the drives he has done this year so I am kind of at the point where I am just looking at where it unfolds. Obviously, I am not part of tꦚhat battle but from a fan point of view, you just want it to go to the end. T▨hey have been nip and tuck all year, it has been good to watch. I do think Max is capable of it. Time will tell.”