Ricciardo on Verstappen: 'There was definitely some tension between us'
F1 News
- GPblog.com
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen were teammates at Red Bull Racing for three years. The men therefore know each other well. In an interview with the Canadian journalist Ariel Helwani the Australian explains why he is a fan of Verstappen, but he also describes the tension between the two when they were still teammates.
In the interview, Ricciardo is asked who he is the most fan of on the grid. "For different reasons I guess, but Max Verstappen, because you get what you see. He might not be the most approachable or funniest or whatever, but he is Max. People know that that’s what they’re going to get", he begins.
Ricciardo continues: "He’s a very hard racer and obviously people like that. I definitely respect that, and I was his teammate, so I’ve known him for quite a long time as well, and I’ve also seen him, let’s say, mature and kind of grow. I think what he does is kind of relatable to some as well."
Tension between old teammates
The Australian is also asked who he is the least fan of. Surprisingly, Ricciardo gives the same answer to this question. "In the years with Red Bull it was Max, you know, we were teammates. We definitely had respect for each other, but I would say today we get on better than we did back then."
"One year he took me out at the start, I flipped him off. In Azerbaijan, we took each other out. There was definitely some tension. As a rivalry, he is probably been my biggest rival in the years. That doesn’t mean I don’t like him", That tension is just part of driving for the same team. Ricciardo then jokes that he will say who he really doesn't like when the cameras are off.