Desperate Red Bull driver Sebastian Vettel’s seeks help from Australian teammate Daniel Ricciardo for answers

IT’S the ultimate compliment. Struggling F1 world champion Sebastian Vettel is looking to his flying Aussie teammate Daniel Ricciardo for answers.

SAKHIR, BAHRAIN - APRIL 03: Sebastian Vettel of Germany and Infiniti Red Bull Racing and Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Infiniti Red Bull Racing play a questions and answers game for a television channel during previews for the Bahrain Formula One Grand Prix at the Bahrain International Circuit on April 3, 2014 in Sakhir, Bahrain. (Photo by Andrew Hone/Getty Images) *** Local Caption *** Sebastian Vettel; Daniel Ricciardo

IT’S the ultimate compliment.

Struggling Formula One world champion Sebastian Vettel is looking to Daniel Ricciardo for answers to turn his form around.

Ahead of this weekend’s Canadian Grand Prix, Vettel admitted he has been poring over race data, comparing himself and his flying Australian teammate – but to no avail.

Asked if he could see a clear area of difference between the two, Vettel said: “Not really, no.”

Vettel said he noticed Ricciardo was more on a par with him around the track than his former Aussie teammate, Mark Webber.

“With Mark, I think it’s fair to say he was very, very good in high-speed corners, and showed me the limits sometimes, but it’s fairly even – let’s say – around the lap with Daniel.

“You can’t say in a certain type of corner (Ricciardo’s) gaining and losing in another.”

MORE: The big questions ahead of the Canadian Grand Prix

Daniel Ricciardo on his way to a podium finish in Monaco.

The 24-year-old Ricciardo has made a strong start to life at Red Bull, with two podiums and two fourth-placed finishes in the opening six rounds this season.

Vettel has not performed so well, claiming just one podium in Malaysia and sitting two spots behind Ricciardo on the F1 standings.

The German said he was using Ricciardo’s form as motivation.

“It is positive surprise,” Vettel said of Ricciardo’s start to the year.

“It’s good to see he’s getting on well with the team and doing a good job. I think we have similar preference in terms of the car in terms of set-up, there’s not much difference we are running.

“It’s encouraging to see him doing a good job.

“Obviously I’ve been struggling, he’s doing a good job and it shows the potential of the car.”

Vettel says Ricciardo’s strong start to the season has been a “positive surprise”.

Controversial Mercedes pairing Nico Rosberg and Lewis Hamilton lead the standings heading into the Canadian Grand Prix, with Ricciardo fourth and Vettel sixth.

Hamilton said this week he had made his peace with Rosberg following a fiery weekend in Monte Carlo.

The Briton said his long friendship with Rosberg had not been damaged seriously by their falling out after Hamilton suggested his teammate had deliberately gone off-track in qualifying to gain an unfair advantage.

“We’ve been friends a long time and as friends we have our ups and downs,” Hamilton said on Twitter.

“Today we spoke and we’re cool, still friends...No problem.”