Max Verstappen has admitted that if Red Bull's 2017 car is a title challenger, his relationship with teammate Daniel Ricciardo would change.

However, the young Dutchman says that so far, he gets on very well with his Australian colleague.

"When you see Daniel, he is always smiling and making everyone laugh," Verstappen told De Telegraaf. "I can do the same, I think.

"For a team, it is very important to have two drivers like that who are open and sharing all the information.

"I think you can clearly see that it was less good with Carlos [Sainz], but the situation was completely different. At Toro Rosso, Carlos and I both knew there was only one seat available at Red Bull, because Daniel was always performing well."

However, Verstappen acknowledged that if he and Ricciardo are fighting for the title in 2017, the dynamic of their relationship will change.

"I'm not naive," he said. "Everything will be more intense and tensions will rise. But it is up the team to make the process run smoothly so that everyone does not stop working together to improve the car, or withholds information.

"But I don't see that happening anytime soon."

The new season is due to get underway on March 26 with the Australian Grand Prix.