Daniel Ricciardo may have raced his final Formula 1 race at the Singapore Grand Prix, with the Australian opening up about his friendship with champion Max Verstappen
Formula 1 star Daniel Ricciardo has shared a touching message from his old friend Max Verstappen.
The Australian fought back tears after what could have been his final Formula 1 race at the Singapore GP, with it widely reported that VCARB would replace Ricciardo as their driver, leaving his F1 career hanging in the balance. Ricciardo had previously been eyeing a return to Red Bull after spells with Renault and McLaren but missed out on joining his former team.
The 35-year-old has twice finished third in the Drivers’ Championship with Red Bull – and it was during his time with the team that his friendship with Verstappen blossomed. They haven’t pitted together since 2018, but Verstappen has been full of praise for his former team-mate, while Ricciardo has opened up on their friendship by revealing the heartfelt message the world champion sent him in April after his first-lap crash in Japan.
“It’s funny because as team-mates you get to know each other better,” Ricciardo said of Verstappen. “You spend a lot of time together. From a professional point of view, you get to know each other’s minds. I know how he thinks and he knows how I think.
“It’s a strange intimacy. We had that kind of rivalry, but I think we also really enjoyed it and it became a respect,” he told Sky Sports.
“I think Max has obviously matured into a great driver but a very mature young man. He’s always been very appreciative of our friendship and support – even after Japan this year, I got a lot of criticism and he was one of the few people who messaged me and said, ‘man, keep your head up. We know what you’re capable of. Don’t listen to the noise.’ I have a lot of respect and appreciation for him.”
Despite not being able to realise his dream of teaming up with Verstappen at Red Bull for a second time, Ricciardo is happy with the way he’s been able to say goodbye to the sport. Last week, Verstappen praised the 35-year-old for his successful F1 career and spoke warmly of his former team-mate again on Sunday.
“Daniel and I, of course, have been together for a long time,” Verstappen told Sky Sports. “We’ve always had a great relationship, a great friendship, a lot of respect for each other. He’s just a great guy. We got along really well. There was no pretense; we just got along. Easy-going – that’s how we were.
“He’ll definitely be remembered as a very fast racer – I think everyone knows that – but also a great guy on the track.”
