Daniel Ricciardo has been Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull Racing for many years, and he knows better than anyone what it’s like to work with him. Despite the occasional meeting between the two on the track, they have always maintained a good respectful relationship with each other.
Always mutual respect between Ricciardo and Verstappen
In an interview with AutoHebdo Ricciardo looks back on his time as Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull. “From the first session, I saw that he was doing well. He immediately set the tone, and that also gave me energy. Then I immediately knew he would be fast ”, says Ricciardo.
The two were often tied, and on the track it sometimes came to a showdown. “We didn’t give ourselves a meter of space. It sometimes caused difficult situations, like Budapest in 2017 and Baku in 2018. But there was always mutual respect because we knew we could cope with these situations ”., he keeps on. “We did everything we could, but in the end the winner and the loser just greeted each other. Of course, you didn’t want to be in a losing position, but the fight was always fair.
Ricciardo believes Verstappen still has a long career ahead of him. “He will stay in Formula 1 as long as he wants. I think he has what it takes to perform at the top level until his 30s, much like Lewis Hamilton now. But Charles Leclerc and Lando Norris are also potential stars of the future, and George Russell will also compete up front if he has a solid car., says Ricciardo.
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