Formula 1: Which 10 drivers will win their teammate battles in 2019?
By Asher Fair
Renault
Nico Hulkenberg vs. Daniel Ricciardo
Nico Hulkenberg won the unofficial “best of the rest” driver championship in the 2018 season, and he did so despite the fact that he was forced to retire in seven of the season’s 21 races. However, pulling this off for a second consecutive season will likely prove to be more difficult with Daniel Ricciardo having left Red Bull Racing to drive for Renault as his teammate. Ricciardo was a driver who many people believed would be signed by either Mercedes or Ferrari for the 2019 season, but that didn’t pan out for him. He is the early favorite to win the unofficial 2019 “best of the rest” driver championship.
The pick: Daniel Ricciardo
Red Bull Racing
Pierre Gasly vs. Max Verstappen
Red Bull Racing are set to center the team around Max Verstappen following the departure of the Renault-bound Daniel Ricciardo and the subsequent addition of Pierre Gasly. Many people might even argue that the team were already centered around the 21-year-old Dutchman, who the team truly believe can win the 2019 championship if their switch from Renault engines to Honda engines results in the additional reliability and power that they expect it to. Verstappen’s recent progress, especially over the course of the 2018 season, provides no reason to doubt that.