Daniel Ricciardo has shared his candid perspective on former Red Bull Racing teammate Max Verstappen, praising the four-time Formula 1 world champion as an extraordinary talent who pushed him to raise his own driving standards. In an interview with Cars & Culture, Ricciardo reflected on his years alongside the Dutch driver and the fierce internal rivalry that defined their time together in the Red Bull garage.
Reflecting on Intense Red Bull Rivalry
Ricciardo spent multiple seasons partnering Verstappen at Red Bull Racing before deciding to depart for Renault. Now serving as an ambassador for both Red Bull and power unit partner Ford, the Australian driver looks back on the competitive friction with fondness rather than bitterness.
“Heel blij. Heel blij voor ze allemaal. En voor Max,” Ricciardo said during his appearance, translated to English as he discussed his former teammate. “I look back on the time that I was Max’s teammate with, yeah, with a lot of pleasure, I think. It was a great time. And yes, there were moments of intense rivalry and competition and such. But it also ensured that – I just think it made us… yeah, I think it drove us to push ourselves to a higher level. And I loved that.”
Verstappen Continues Record of Success
Since Ricciardo’s departure, Verstappen has cemented his status as one of the sport’s dominant figures, securing four drivers’ championships. Ricciardo noted that the statistics underline the Red Bull driver’s relentless consistency.
“And of course, yeah, he has gone on and achieved so much. And he will go down in history as one of the very best, there’s no doubt about that. He’s an insane talent,” Ricciardo stated. “I saw a statistic: I believe that every year he has been at Red Bull, he has won. So every year, for however many years it’s been, he has won a race.”
Red Bull Ford Powertrains Hits Ground Running
The conversation also touched on Red Bull’s current competitive standing in the championship, particularly following early season success with their newly developed power units in partnership with Ford Racing. Red Bull Ford Powertrains secured an opening victory in Malaysia before Verstappen clinched a dominant win at the Singapore Grand Prix.
The speed with which the new power unit project reached victory lane caught many in the paddock by surprise. Lewis Hamilton previously remarked that he did not anticipate the Red Bull-Ford power unit to become competitive so quickly, a sentiment echoed by Ricciardo.
“And that they did that this year with Ford Racing, that they came out with it and won, is… I can’t even imagine,” Ricciardo said. “I obviously knew a little bit about the project and what they were building, but I can’t imagine how much went into all of that. And for them to win in their very first season together is… amazing.”
Maintaining Contact With the Team
Despite his ambassadorial role and departure from a full-time race seat, Ricciardo remains in touch with several members of the organization. Following their recent successes, he reached out to offer his congratulations.
“And Max. I mean, there’s no one better to do this than Max. So it was all great. I sent Max and a fair few team members with whom I naturally keep in touch, a message afterwards to share my congratulations and my happiness. And yeah, that was well received. There are a lot of good people in that team,” Ricciardo concluded.
