Max Verstappen's Daniel Ricciardo comments say it all as Red Bull F1 axe looms

Daniel Ricciardo is improbable to beryllium connected the Formula 1 grid astatine adjacent month's United States Grand Prix arsenic Red Bull hole to plaything the axe and regenerate him with Liam Lawson

Max Verstappen paid tribute to a "great person and guy" arsenic the axe looms for his aged team-mate Daniel Ricciardo.

They drove unneurotic astatine Red Bull Racing up until the extremity of 2018, erstwhile the second decided to commencement afresh elsewhere. Brief spells with Renault and McLaren followed, earlier Ricciardo mislaid his spot connected the grid and re-signed with Red Bull arsenic a reserve.

He was promoted to sister squad VCARB past twelvemonth arsenic Nyck de Vries was axed but hasn't been capable to nutrient the results needed to propulsion for a instrumentality to his aged spot alongside Verstappen. And present Ricciardo's F1 vocation looks acceptable to extremity pursuing Sunday's Singapore Grand Prix.

Red Bull are apt to regenerate him with reserve operator Liam Lawson earlier the adjacent contention successful Austin. And though that determination has yet to beryllium confirmed, Verstappen was keen to wage tribute to his aged team-mate aft the Grand Prix astatine the Marina Bay Circuit.

The Dutchman said: "Daniel and I spell mode backmost and we ever had a large relationship, a large relationship and a batch of respect for each different arsenic well. He's conscionable a large guy, you know? It conscionable clicks, there's nary fake person. We conscionable get along, easygoing, I similar that. He's a precise accelerated driver, I deliberation everyone knows that, but he's besides conscionable a large feline successful the paddock."

No-one successful the F1 paddock would reason with that assertion. Ricciardo is known for his beaming grin and affable personality, but the world is that effect simply haven't been bully enough, particularly with truthful galore talented racers chasing 1 of conscionable 20 F1 seats available.

Red Bull squad main Christian Horner has been 1 of Ricciardo's allies for galore years and did everything helium could to get him backmost connected the F1 grid aft helium mislaid his spot the archetypal time. But adjacent helium looks improbable to prevention the 35-year-old this time.

VCARB squad brag Laurent Mekies wasn't giving overmuch distant aft the contention and was inactive speaking successful hypotheticals successful presumption of his driver's future. But Ricciardo was fixed a defender of honour by immoderate squad unit arsenic helium returned to the team's hospitality successful the Singapore paddock, hinting that unit are alert of his fate.

He finished 18th successful the contention but did grounds the fastest thigh of the contention astatine the precise end, taking a constituent distant from Lando Norris. It could beryllium to beryllium a cardinal infinitesimal successful the drivers' rubric contention with the McLaren operator closing the spread to Verstappen with each passing week.

And Ricciardo hopes his effort volition person an interaction and assistance Verstappen to clasp the championship. He said: "The past fewer laps, Pierre [Hamelin, his contention engineer] asked if we should spell for fastest lap. And I thought, 'Why not?" If Max wins by a point, I conscionable guaranteed myself a bully Christmas present."