How two former Red Bull rivals built lasting respect.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen shared a Red Bull garage, a fierce rivalry and, ultimately, a lasting friendship. Their mutual praise at the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix showed how competitive history can mature into genuine respect. The weekend carried unusual weight, because it gradually became clear that the Australian was contesting what would prove to be his final Formula 1 race weekend with RB. This report draws on the official Formula1.com account of what both drivers said, and it limits itself strictly to details that source confirms.
Singapore Grand Prix Set the Emotional Scene
Ricciardo faced question after question about his future as the Singapore event wore on. After the race he admitted, in an emotional interview, that he had to be prepared for this to be the end. That assessment proved accurate when the team opted to bring in Liam Lawson as his replacement for the remainder of the season.
Lawson was set to take the seat from the United States Grand Prix in Austin the following month. Red Bull planned to use the remaining races to evaluate the New Zealander alongside Yuki Tsunoda, who had already been signed for 2025. Against that uncertain backdrop, the warm words exchanged between two former teammates carried real significance for the paddock and for supporters.
Max Verstappen on His Former Red Bull Teammate
Verstappen paid tribute to Ricciardo while completing his television interview duties after the race. He noted the mark the eight-time Grand Prix winner had made on the sport, both in the cockpit and away from the track. The two drivers partnered each other at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018, and Verstappen described the relationship as a long-standing one.
In his own assessment, Verstappen spoke of a great relationship, a great friendship and plenty of mutual respect. He added that the pair simply click, with no pretence on either side. That candour matters in a sport where public praise between competitors is often carefully managed.
Verstappen also said Ricciardo will be remembered as a very fast driver, something he believes everyone in the sport already understands. Equally, he said, Ricciardo will be remembered as a great person in the paddock. For a driver facing an uncertain future, such a public endorsement from a reigning world champion carried considerable weight.
Daniel Ricciardo on Teammate Intimacy and Rivalry
After watching Verstappen’s comments in his own post-race conversation, Ricciardo responded in kind and reflected on what it is like to race alongside the Dutchman. He explained that teammates simply come to know each other more, because they spend so much time together and see all the data.
From a professional standpoint, Ricciardo said, teammates can get inside each other’s heads. He learned how Verstappen thinks, and Verstappen learned how he thinks, a dynamic he described as a strange kind of intimacy. This observation offers genuine insight into elite motorsport, where the closest comparison for any driver is the person in the other half of the garage.
Ricciardo also recalled that Verstappen went on to win championships after his own Red Bull stint ended. At the time, he said, the two shared a strong rivalry that they both genuinely enjoyed, and it eventually developed into lasting respect. That framing is notable because it presents competition as the foundation of the friendship rather than an obstacle to it.
The Text Message That Mattered After Japan
Ricciardo also referenced a particularly supportive message from Verstappen early in the 2024 season. A difficult run of races, including a retirement from the Japanese Grand Prix, had prompted an initial wave of speculation about his future, and he admitted he was receiving considerable criticism.
According to Ricciardo, Verstappen was one of the only people who sent him a text after Japan. The message encouraged him to keep his head up, reminded him that Verstappen knew what he was capable of, and urged him to ignore the noise. Ricciardo said he respects and appreciates his former teammate a great deal for it.
Ricciardo further described Verstappen as a great driver who has grown into a very mature young man, one who has always valued their friendship and offered support. In a competitive environment that rarely rewards sentiment, that gesture illustrates the human side of Formula 1, and it helps show why the two speak so warmly of each other.
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What the Friendship Means for Formula 1 Fans
For supporters, the exchange offers a reminder that rivalries on track need not damage relationships away from it. Ricciardo and Verstappen competed hard as teammates, yet both men chose to speak generously about each other at a moment when attention was firmly fixed on Ricciardo’s future. Their remarks, delivered in separate post-race interviews, read as sincere rather than staged.
Ricciardo’s career, which also included stints at HRT, Renault and McLaren, came to a close with a message of gratitude. Shortly after the team’s announcement, he said on social media that he had loved the sport his whole life and described the journey as wild and wonderful. Together with the praise from Verstappen, it formed a dignified farewell.
The verified record, then, tells a clear story. Two drivers who once fought for supremacy in the same team emerged with admiration intact, supported each other through difficult moments and spoke openly about it when it mattered. In an era of promoted storylines, that authenticity is what makes their relationship worth revisiting, and keeps fans invested in them. This report relies on the official Formula1.com coverage of the Singapore Grand Prix weekend, and every detail here reflects that source. For fans, the lasting takeaway is simple: genuine respect can outlast even the fiercest competition.