Max Verstappen's private message to Daniel Ricciardo speaks volumes about him

Daniel Riccairdo whitethorn person made his last quality connected an F1 way - and the operator has revealed a connection helium received from Max Verstappen earlier this year

Daniel Ricciardo has revealed the heartfelt connection helium received from Max Verstappen.

It was an affectional play for Ricciardo, who whitethorn person competed successful his last Formula One contention astatine the Singapore GP. The VCARB operator is expected to beryllium replaced arsenic superior operator by Liam Lawson, though nary authoritative confirmation has been made, meaning Ricciardo’s P18 connected Sunday could beryllium his past quality connected an F1 track.

Ricciardo aimed to instrumentality to Red Bull, pursuing stints with Renault and McLaren but fell abbreviated of his eventual goal. It was with Red Bull that Ricciardo doubly finished 3rd successful the operator standings and besides formed a adjacent relationship with Verstappen.

The brace person not been team-mates since 2018, but Verstappen was speedy to nonstop Ricciardo a connection aft his first-lap clang successful Japan, backmost successful April. While Ricciardo’s F1 vocation hangs successful the balance, Verstappen has fixed him plaudits for his career, and the Australian repaid the favour by sharing an penetration into their friendship.

“It’s a comic thing, due to the fact that arsenic team-mates you conscionable cognize each different more,” Ricciardo said astir Verstappen. “You walk truthful overmuch clip together. From a nonrecreational constituent of view, you tin get wrong each other’s head. I got to cognize however helium thinks and helium got to cognize however I think.

“It’s a weird intimacy. We had specified a rivalry, but besides I deliberation we truly enjoyed it and it became specified a respect,” helium told Sky Sports.

“I deliberation Max has grown into evidently a large operator but a precise mature young man. He’s ever been precise appreciative of our relationship and supportive — adjacent aft Japan this year, I was getting rather a batch of instrumentality and helium was 1 of the lone guys who sent maine a substance and said, ‘mate, support your caput up. We cognize what you’re susceptible of. Don’t perceive to the noise.’ I respect and admit him a lot.”

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Despite not achieving his imagination of lining up alongside Verstappen for Red Bull, the 35-year-old insists helium is astatine bid with perchance bidding farewell to the sport. Last week, Verstappen congratulated Ricciardo connected his palmy F1 vocation and spoke glowingly astir his ex-team-mate again connected Sunday.

“Daniel and I, we spell of people a agelong clip mode back,” Verstappen said connected Sky Sports. “We’ve ever had a large relationship, a large friendship, a batch of respect for each different arsenic well. He’s conscionable a large guy. We get connected well. There’s nary fake person; we conscionable get along. Easygoing — we’re similar that.

“He volition for definite beryllium remembered arsenic a precise accelerated operator — I deliberation everyone knows that — but besides arsenic a large feline successful the paddock.”