I like Ricciardo, he's a nice guy. But IMO, he's not a no. 1 driver. There really is no shame in that. To obtain a drive in F1 and retain it year after year is an immense achievement in itself. You need a certain level of cockyness, but drivers like Perez and Bottas have done well accepting they are not the best driver. They are bloody good racers, just not the best.
I fear Danny Ric will be too hard on himself the first year if this happens and push too hard, expecting to match verstappen. He strikes me as a confidence driver. When things go badly, he gets in a rut. In contrast, when he was having success, it bred more confidence and more good results.
Really hope I'm wrong. It would be great to see him back to his happier days.