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Monaco — Record-breaking Dutch teenager Max Verstappen believes his Red Bull team mate Daniel Ricciardo has the engine for success in this weekend’s Monaco Grand Prix.

The 18-year-old Red Bull driver said after finishing fourth in Thursday’s practice that the new Renault-powered unit in Ricciardo’s car had given him the edge as he clocked the fastest time.

The Australian was quickest by more than six-tenths of a second ahead of the two Mercedes of defending champion Lewis Hamilton and championship leader Nico Rosberg.

“There’s a bit of a difference,” Verstappen said, talking about the contrast between the updated TAG-branded engine in Ricciardo’s car and the ‘older’ unit in his own

“And, for sure, especially in Canada, it will make a bigger difference, but I’ve to do the best possible job I can.”

Verstappen added that his own performance, in only his second outing since stepping up from the Toro Rosso team, was encouraging.

“Not too bad, for me,” he said. “The feeling was there. I just built it up lap by lap and we didn’t have any crashes. That was the most important thing.

“We need to work on the car balance, just getting a bit more confident in the car, and from thereon we’ll see what happens.”

Two weeks on from the Spanish Grand Prix, where he became the sport’s youngest race winner, he was looking at the prospects of another possible podium finish.

“We’re not too far off so we will try to improve our car, because for sure Mercedes will do that as well,” he said.

“And then, we will see. For us the most important thing is to work on our car.” — AFP.