Red Bull driver Max Verstappen has revealed details of his friendship with RB driver Daniel Ricciardo, who is rumored to have raced his last Grand Prix in Singapore yesterday. Both drivers were teammates at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018.
The Australian driver secured a seat with Red Bull’s junior team last year, replacing Nyck de Vries alongside Yuki Tsunoda. With 10+ years of experience in the premier class of motorsport, Ricciardo was handed the task of not only elevating the team’s position in the championship but also mentoring Tsunoda.
While the 2023 season didn’t offer Red Bull many chances to judge his performance for a potential move alongside Verstappen, 2024 painted an unexpected picture for the 35-year-old driver. Ricciardo started the season on the back foot, as he struggled to secure points.
In contrast, Tsunoda consistently outperformed Ricciardo across most race weekends, fueling speculation about Ricciardo’s departure from the team. Initially seen as a potential replacement for Sergio Perez, Ricciardo’s underwhelming results led Red Bull to extend Perez’s contract for an additional two years. While Tsunoda’s contract was renewed through the 2025 season, Ricciardo’s was not.
Speculation about Ricciardo’s imminent replacement in 2024 grew stronger after Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko revealed that reserve driver Liam Lawson will soon be racing in one of the cars and that a decision would be taken in September, particularly during the long gap after the Singapore GP.
The report gained more traction when Ricciardo appeared visibly emotional during his post-race interview at Marina Bay, hinting that he knew it might have been his final race. Speaking to Sky Sports F1 after the race, Verstappen revealed the reason why his friendship with Ricciardo “clicks.” As reported by Formula 1.com, he said:
“Daniel and I of course go a long way back. We have always had a great relationship, great friendship, a lot of respect for each other as well, so he’s just a great guy.
“[We] get on well, it just clicks. There is no fake person, we just get along and are easy going, we are like that. He will for sure be remembered as a very fast driver, I think everyone knows that, but also as a great guy in the paddock.”
In the final laps of the Singapore race, Ricciardo was brought in for a tire change to target the fastest lap, which he successfully secured on the last lap, snatching the bonus point from McLaren’s Lando Norris, who had been leading the race by over twenty seconds ahead of Verstappen in second.
While it might have appeared as a fitting end to Ricciardo’s 13-year Formula 1 career, the move sparked controversy. McLaren accused Red Bull of using its junior team to manipulate the championship outcome, as the one-point loss for Norris meant that even if he won every race leading up to the Abu Dhabi finale, Verstappen could still clinch the drivers’ title by consistently finishing second. When Verstappen was asked about Ricciardo securing that one point, he added:
“At the end, everyone has the opportunity to go for the fastest lap. It’s nice, of course, that that fastest lap is then in someone else’s hands.”
With six rounds to go for the conclusion of the 2024 season, Norris trails championship leader Verstappen in the Drivers’ Standings by 52 points.