Even though Max Verstappen is the most successful driver for Red Bull, the fans of the team have yet snubbed their champion for Daniel Ricciardo. The Milton Keynes outfit recently put up a poll on their Instagram handle and the results were nothing short of shocking.
The results of the poll seem to suggest that the Australian continues to be the fan favorite despite Verstappen having helped the team win two world championships with his 45-race victories. The Dutchman has won seven more races than Red Bull’s second most successful driver, Sebastian Vettel.
Despite bringing so much success to the team, it seems that Red Bull fans perhaps do not give him as much love as they give Ricciardo. Moreover, a report from si.com also seems to suggest the same as it highlights how Verstappen only witnessed a substantial increase in his fanbase once Ricciardo returned to the grid and shared some adorable moments with the 25-year-old.
Red Bull’s fans snub Max Verstappen for Daniel Ricciardo
Red Bull had recently put up a poll on their Instagram handle, where they gave two options and asked their fans to pick their favorite moment between them. The first option was Daniel Ricciardo’s first shoey, while the second option was Max Verstappen and Red Bull’s 2022 title win.
The results seemed so shocking that a fan explained how they laughed after they saw the same. To everyone’s surprise, 73% of the fans preferred Ricciardo’s first shoey over Verstappen and Red Bull’s title wins last season.
i laughed pic.twitter.com/3tl1cnBU6b
— elo ³ 🪩 (@cozyricciardo) August 11, 2023
Most of the fans preferred the shoey as it has been a long time since Ricciardo made his appearance on the podium, and did his iconic celebration. The Australian grabbed his last podium at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix when he won his first and only race for McLaren.
Considering that it was his first win for the team, he did not disappoint his fans as he celebrated by performing a shoe with McLaren CEO Zak Brown. However, with it now having been two long years since fans have witnessed the same, they would hope that Ricciardo secures a podium finish as soon as possible. Another thing that fans will perhaps hope for is to see Ricciardo and Verstappen share some more moments together.
Verstappen is delighted to have Ricciardo back on the grid
Ahead of Daniel Ricciardo‘s first race on his return to F1 this season, Max Verstappen explained how delighted he was to have his former Red Bull teammate back on the grid. The Dutchman stated that he had already spoken to Ricciardo regarding the same and was confident that the Honey Badger will now be able to deliver results, having had a little reset during his break from F1.
Similarly to Verstappen, Ricciardo too seems to share immense respect for the double-world champion. Speaking of Verstappen, Ricciardo explained in an interview earlier this year about how amazing it was to see that the 25-year-old has remained “true to himself” despite already having won two titles.
Ricciardo just believes that what Verstappen deserves the most praise for is his originality and the way he has matured over the years. While the two undoubtedly have immense respect for one another, it will be interesting to see if they do end up becoming teammates once again in the future considering all the rumors that have been going on.
