Daniel Ricciardo Praises Max Verstappen and Red Bull Ford Success

Heel blij. Heel blij voor ze allemaal.

Former Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo has shared his thoughts on Max Verstappen and Red Bull Racing following a strong run of results for the Austrian team and its new power unit partner. Ricciardo, who previously raced alongside Verstappen at Red Bull before moving to Renault, currently serves as an ambassador for Red Bull Racing and Ford.

Red Bull Ford Powertrains Claims Early Wins

Red Bull Ford Powertrains has experienced a successful stretch in Formula 1 during the current season. The newly established motor manufacturer secured its first victory of the year in Malaysia before taking a dominant win with Verstappen at the Singapore Grand Prix, a circuit where the Dutch driver had not previously won.

Ricciardo expressed his excitement regarding the team’s rapid progress in its first season building its own power unit alongside Ford Racing. He noted the massive scale of the project and the difficulty of winning right away in a new partnership.

En dat ze dat dit jaar met Ford Racing hebben gedaan, dat ze ermee zijn gekomen en hebben gewonnen, is… Ik kan het me niet eens voorstellen. Ik wist natuurlijk wel iets over het project en wat ze aan het bouwen waren, maar ik kan me niet hoeveel er allemaal in is gestoken. En dat ze dan in hun eerste seizoen samen al winnen, is… geweldig.

Daniel Ricciardo via gp33.nl

Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton previously stated that he did not expect the Red Bull power unit to become competitive so quickly, a sentiment that Ricciardo shares.

Reflecting on Intense Rivalry With Verstappen

Looking back at his time sharing the garage with Verstappen, Ricciardo recalled the competitive dynamic between them. He credited their intense battles with pushing both drivers to reach higher performance levels.

Ik kijk terug op de tijd dat ik teamgenoot van Max was met… ja, met veel plezier, denk ik. Het was een geweldige tijd. En ja, er waren momenten van intense rivaliteit en competitie en zo. Maar het zorgde er ook voor – ik denk gewoon dat het ons… ja, ik denk dat het ons ertoe aanzette om onszelf naar een hoger niveau te tillen. En dat vond ik geweldig.

Daniel Ricciardo via gp33.nl

Ricciardo praised Verstappen as a prodigious talent who will be remembered among the sport’s greatest competitors. He pointed out a statistic showing that Verstappen has secured at least one Grand Prix victory in every single year he has spent with Red Bull Racing.

Following the recent victories, Ricciardo reached out to Verstappen and several team members with whom he maintains contact to send his congratulations. He confirmed that his messages were well received by the staff inside the Milton Keynes-backed operation.

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