While the 2023 F1 season may well be over, the Red Bull drivers (including the AlphaTauri drivers) are not yet done competing, as they all recently flew to Japan to take part in the Honda Thanks Day event. The annual event had multiple race events lined up for fans to enjoy, with Karting being one of them. During the same, Daniel Ricciardo let loose his inner demons, as Max Verstappen deemed the Australian “a terrorist” for wreaking havoc on the track.
With the race video uploaded on YouTube by Honda Racing Global, the reason behind Verstappen’s statement is there for all to see. The Honey Badger seemingly had nothing but destruction on his mind as he kept driving into someone or the other after engaging in multiple collisions with the Dutchman whenever he took a shortcut. After the race, Verstappen took the time to comment on a violent display by Ricciardo.
“The race started off quite well, but then Daniel [Ricciardo] decided to be a terrorist. He was literally trying to kill everyone out there.”
In the end, though, neither Ricciardo nor Verstappen could make it to the podium. P3 went to DAMS’ F2 driver Ayumu Iwasa, while AlphaTauri’s Yuki Tsunoda took P2. Red Bull’s Sergio Perez emerged as the race winner in a fun and collision-filled event.
The Honda Thanks Day event marks an annual tradition by the Japanese company where they invite all the Honda-affiliated drivers from the various forms of motorsports to compete in a unique one-day event. The company organizes the event as a way of thanking its fans for their continued support throughout the years.
Max Verstappen was at the event in 2022 as well
With the Thanks Day being an annual one-day event, it becomes almost an obligation for the affiliated drivers to be a part of the extravagant attraction. While Verstappen was a part of the celebrations in 2023, it wasn’t his first gig. The Dutchman took part in last year’s event as well, featuring alongside MotoGP royalty Marc Marquez.
The two champions teamed up for last year’s karting event, where seven teams of two competed for the top spot. Both drivers had to work together to secure a win, with the pitstop seeing one driver take the place of another, unlike the F1 pitstops, where they change the tires per the strategies. In an action-packed race, Yuki Tsunoda and Tomoyuki Ogawa secured P3, while Sergio Perez and Tim Gajser took home the silver medal. The dream team of Verstappen and Marquez took home an easy win owing to their masterful driving in the 10-lap race.
