From 2016 to 2018, Red Bull enjoyed a near-perfect driver lineup with Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen on board. However, two ambitious and fast drivers can never truly get along, and that perfectly summarizes their partnership. The lows of their time together as teammates often overshadow the highs. That is exactly what Verstappen remembered about his relationship with Ricciardo, especially from their last year as teammates.
The 2018 season was the first when the Dutchman beat Ricciardo in the overall standings. However, Red Bull’s season was also marred with difficulties with an obvious reliability issue with the car and the engine. Meanwhile, Ricciardo and Verstappen were also butting heads on the track. The Dutchman was coming of age and Ricciardo was still at the peak of his powers.
This scenario also increased the friction between the two, especially after the disastrous end of the 2018 Azerbaijan GP. Come Mexico, the tensions boiled over and the troubles with the RB14 further worsened the matter. The anger he experienced during the 2018 Mexican GP is something the Dutchman still remembers.
In an exclusive with Red Bull, Verstappen said, “I was really angry. Just when everything was at stake, I was powerless. The night before the race, I said to myself: I’ll win tomorrow! It wasn’t a feeling of revenge, but rather the absolute will to win despite technical problems. I started on Sunday, with additional anger in my stomach – and won!”
Verstappen Ricciardo
Red Bull’s 2018 Baku outing ended in disaster #AzerbaijanGP #F1 pic.twitter.com/esU6ZtVBi5
— Formula 1 (@F1) April 25, 2023
The Red Bull man remarkably won the race overcoming the technical issues. This outcome gave the world of F1 a glimpse of Verstappen’s talents. One person who had the front-seat view of this revelation during the race and throughout the season was Ricciardo himself. The Australian saw the tide turning in favor of Verstappen at the Milton Keynes outfit.
This was one of the biggest reasons behind Ricciardo’s motivation to take his talents elsewhere. His desire to take on a new challenge was also fueled by the unreliable Red Bull car, as Ricciardo suffered a whopping eight DNFs in the entire season. So, the unreliability and the shift of dynamics within the team made him move to Renault for the 2019 season and the rest is history!
