Verstappen paid more than Ricciardo - father

Jos Verstappen says his son Max is paid more than the Red Bull driver’s former teammate Daniel Ricciardo.

Renault boss Cyril Abiteboul has made headlines this week by revealing that Australian Ricciardo will have his retainer reduced amid the coronavirus crisis.

"We have yet to make the exact deal, but I am not afraid that his demands will destabilise our Formula 1 activities," Abiteboul told L’Equipe.

Jos Verstappen says that his son Max makes more.

"The Ricciardo deal is less than ours," Jos told GP Racing. "I can tell you that Max is very, very well paid - top two, top three," he added.

"Max is very highly rated by Helmut (Marko), and he’s very close to Helmut. I think he’s the type of driver that Helmut likes.

"I don’t know what Lewis gets, but I can tell you that we’ve done well," Verstappen senior added.

That is just one reason why those dreaming about a Lewis Hamilton-Verstappen pairing at Mercedes are wide of the mark, Jos suggested.

"Fans would love it, but it would probably not be a good idea," he said. "Besides, it would be a difficult equation economically."