“He is what he is” – Former Red Bull driver Daniel Ricciardo reveals he is a fan of Max Verstappen, despite not always getting along with him as teammates.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen seemed like a dream pairing for Red Bull, except it turned out to be a nightmare. The duo clashed multiple times on the track, helping arch-rivals Mercedes to cruise to victory every single season.
okay but the important question is which is your favorite bromance? pic.twitter.com/KYowGRqWxv
— Bogi ✨ (@soylagolando) November 9, 2021
Despite all this, Ricciardo considers himself to be a fan of the Dutchman, primarily because of his no-nonsense attitude. Verstappen is known to not mince his words, something Lewis Hamilton can vouch for, of late.
“I mean, for different reasons, I guess, but like Max Verstappen, because he is what he is. You know, if he doesn’t want to talk to someone in the media, he won’t. I think some of the Netflix stuff now with the new season, I think he’s said no to a few of the things.
“So he kinda just has his way, and he’s just gonna stick by it. I don’t know you get what you see. I think a lot of people also admire that and like that. He might not be the most approachable or funniest or whatever, but he is Max and people know that’s what they’re going to get.
“He’s a very hard racer, and obviously people like that, so I definitely respect that. I was his teammate, so I’ve known him for quite a long time as well and I’ve also seen him mature. I not only have respect for him, but what he does is a kind of relatable to some as well.
“We didn’t give each other any space. That did sometimes cause tricky situations, like Budapest in 2017 and Baku in 2018. But there was always mutual respect because we knew from each other that we could deal with those situations.”