Daniel Ricciardo accuses Verstappen of not playing fair

Ricciardo wasn’t happy after the little incident between Verstappen and him during qualification in Austria.

During qualification, Verstappen was asked by the Red Bull to overtake Ricciardo. The Aussie has slowed down in order for the overtake to happen, but Verstappen did not oblige.

Radio exchange between Verstappen and the Red Bull team.

VERSTAPPEN: What is going on?

RED BULL TEAM: Overtake him, mate. Just overtake him.

VERSTAPPEN: No. Last weekend I was in front and now he is in front. Come on man.

RED BULL TEAM: Max, overtake him mate.

VERSTAPPEN: No. It is discipline.

RED BULL TEAM: Just focus Max.

RICCIARDO: I guess we are not going one for one.

RED BULL TEAM: You have got to get a lap in mate.

Ricciardo laid out his frustration right after qualifying, saying that he wasn’t too impressed with what had happened.

“I’m not too impressed to be honest,” he said.

“We had three runs and I was just punching a hole for everyone and I think if you get one run fair enough, each… I am not that happy that is all.

“We could have been more fair. We could have been more fair.” he added.

Verstappen though justified his move by attributing it to ‘team policy’.

“We always agree before the weekend who is going in front,” Verstappen said.

“I was going in front in Paul Ricard, he was going the race before that in front.

“So we just discussed that – this was his weekend to go in front. That’s how it is and, yeah. It’s very simple. Every run in Paul Ricard I was in front, so we have to do the same here.” he added.

Verstappen however, was confident that nothing would happen to Ricciardo and his relationship.

“We want to do the best qualifying possible, and of course you want to beat each other, and of course you want to take advantages from that,” he said.

“But if they say ‘you have to drive in front for all qualifying’, you have to do it. That’s what I did in Paul Ricard, so of course it’s Daniel’s turn here.

“Like I said, we always try to have the best possible position. But between us will be all good.” he concluded.