After leaving Red Bull in 2018, Daniel Ricciardo returns to his old team after a 5-year hiatus. The Aussie was welcomed back into the team by some Familiar faces, including former teammate Max Verstappen and Team Principal Christian Horner.
Verstappen and Ricciardo were teammates at Red Bull for two and a half seasons. However, the Aussie departed to Renault ahead of the 2019 season to make his own identity.
However, Ricciardo could not find long-term success at Renault and McLaren. At the same time, Verstappen went on to become Red Bull’s marquee driver and has won 2 World Championship titles.
Add this to the list of things we LOVE to see 😍
Danny Ric in Red Bull colours 👌#F1 @RedBullRacing @danielricciardo pic.twitter.com/LVPCjuKQEx
— Formula 1 (@F1) February 3, 2023
Ricciardo returns to his own team, now as a reserve driver. But with him comes old memories, some good ones and some not-so-good.
Also Read: Daniel Ricciardo Says 2-Time World Champion Max Verstappen Doesn’t Know How to Drive Manual Car
Ricciardo opens up on Baku crash with Verstappen
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen made Red Bull a competitive team between 2016-18. And the two drivers got along very well. But clashes started to develop when both drivers wanted to establish themselves as the ‘Number 1’ driver.
Ultimately this led to differences on track and some occasional flare-ups. But nothing came close to the drama following their crash in the 2018 Azerbaijan GP.
Verstappen and Ricciardo were 4th and 5th, respectively, engaged in an on-track battle. Ricciardo attempted an overtake on Lap 41, but Max blocked it by breaking late. this caused the Aussie to crash into his teammate, DNFing both cars.
The @redbullracing boys dissect their collision in Baku…#AzerbaijanGP 🇦🇿 #F1 pic.twitter.com/zTa6WbHfju
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 29, 2018
However, Ricciardo claims the incident did not change their relationship. He said, “We had a clash in Baku. But apart from that, I think we’ve always had a pretty good relationship.”
He added, “We are very competitive, of course, but also a very good personal relationship, and we also communicate via SMS and stuff,”
Also Read: Christian Horner Reasons Why He Doesn’t See Sebastian Vettel Joining Red Bull’s Management in Future
Ricciardo claims Max Verstappen has matured since
When Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull in 2018, he had accumulated 7 race victories compared to Max Verstappen’s 5. But since then, Verstappen has added another 30 wins and 2-titles to his tally.
Max has risen exponentially as a driver, and his old teammate definitely has taken note of it. Ricciardo feels Max has changed “as a driver, but also as a person.”
Ricciardo stated, “It’s been really, really nice to be back, with the team of course, but also with Max. I also think that in the few years that I’ve spent away from the team now, I’ve seen him grow and mature.”
🏆 | Max Verstappen and all of his #F1 Records.
Only 25 years old and already setting his name in stone. What records will he break next? pic.twitter.com/7fHc5zS8iW
— RBR Daily (@RedBullUpdates) November 8, 2022
He added, “He’s been a 2-time world champion. So it’s nice to see his success and development as a driver. But I think he’s held up really well.”
Daniel will spend his time in the Simulator and testing Red Bull’s cars on weekends. But if the chance comes for Red Bull to replace Sergio Perez, the Aussie could find himself back in the F1 grid with a permanent racing seat.
Also Read: Daniel Ricciardo Reveals Lewis Hamilton is the Most Generous Driver on the Grid
