Daniel Ricciardo says Max Verstappen will “go down as probably the greatest ever”, and admits he can not comprehend what Crimson Bull has achieved in its first season constructing its personal energy models.
Ricciardo was Verstappen’s team-mate at Crimson Bull from 2016 till the top of 2018, and is now an envoy for Ford, whose partnership with Crimson Bull Powertrains made its race debut this season.
The challenge’s first win got here on the Bahrain Grand Prix in October, which was moved to Sepang after the race at Sakhir was cancelled, and Ricciardo obtained in contact with Verstappen and the workforce quickly afterwards.
“I look again on my time as team-mates with Max very fondly; it was a cool time,” Ricciardo stated on the Vehicles and Tradition with Jason Stein podcast. “And sure, there have been moments of intense rivalry and competitors and all of it, but it surely made us push ourselves to a different degree. I cherished that.
“After all, he has gone on and performed a lot, and he will go down as probably the greatest ever, little question about it. He is an insane expertise.”
The win at Sepang got here at a circuit meaning so much to the Australian. He received the 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix there, main Verstappen dwelling in a Crimson Bull 1-2.
Ten years on, he was simply as impressed by what Crimson Bull had managed.
Daniel Ricciardo, Racing Bulls
Picture by: Rudy Carezzevoli / Getty Photographs
“Yearly he has been with Crimson Bull, he is received a race. For them to do it, with Ford Racing this 12 months, to come back out and win… I am unable to even comprehend,” he stated.
“I knew a bit concerning the challenge and what they have been constructing, however I am unable to comprehend all the things that has gone into it. And for them to go and win of their first season collectively, there is no such thing as a higher man to do it than Max.”
Verstappen has since added wins in Singapore and Mexico, which means Crimson Bull now has extra grand prix wins than Ferrari this season, with three to the Scuderia’s two. He completed second from twenty first on the grid in Brazil on Sunday, and is second within the drivers’ standings as of the Sao Paulo Grand Prix.
Ricciardo, who left F1 in 2024 and launched a collaboration between his Enchante model and Ford Racing at the beginning of the 12 months, stated he nonetheless retains in contact with individuals on the workforce.
“The entire thing has been superior,” he stated. “I despatched Max and fairly a number of others within the workforce that I nonetheless discuss with a message after, to share my congrats and happiness.
“It was obtained properly; there are a whole lot of good individuals in that workforce.”
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