Horner: Max and Daniel most exciting pairing in F1

Speaking to the Telegraph ahead of the Australian Grand Prix season opener this weekend, Horner declared, "We have two great drivers and are not afraid of taking risks. It is the most exciting driver pairing in Formula 1."

It is not the first time Horner has said this about his drivers, but this time he is probably more on the button than he was back then as both Red Bull drivers have evolved and are now considered among the top five or six drivers of this current generation.

Horner pointed out, "You have the emerging, enormous talent of Max... and Daniel who is approaching his peak. It is a great contest between the two of them and that is what gets the most out of them."

Verstappen is signed up with the team until the end of this decade, while Ricciardo is pondering extending beyond his current deal which runs out at the end of this year.

Verstappen, a rough diamond who broke into Formula 1 with Toro Rosso, is now one of the brightest stars in the sport and last year the 20-year-old Dutchman grew in stature amid adversity, “Max stepped it up a gear last year, he really came of age. What he went through will stand him in good stead for the future. Of course, frustration boiled over but largely he kept it in check and coped well.”

By all accounts, the 'real' RB14 will break cover in Melbourne during the course of the weekend and is expected to be a handy piece of kit if the version of their 2018 challenger they tested in Barcelona recently is anything to go by.

Whatever the case the team have two drivers at the top of their game, both ruthless overtakers who are not afraid to go toe-to-toe with their rivals, and with a strong car Horner is optimistic they will deliver, “We are going into this season in a much better position compared to the last three or four years. Our target is to compete with Ferrari and Mercedes.”