Verstappen and Ricciardo meet laughing at their hands

Put Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen together, point the camera at her, and you’re guaranteed to have fun watching. Thursday night, he was hit again when his former teammates were allowed to appear together at the US Grand Prix press conference.

The mood immediately prevailed when Verstappen was asked to react to his election as the most popular driver in Formula 1. The clever response from the Red Bull driver was “My life is complete”. “It’s what I’ve always wanted and now I can retire feeling good.” Ricciardo subtly took matters into his own hands by saying that “in the end only a dozen people voted”, and Verstappen responded with “Yes, probably all my friends”.

Read also: Fans choose Verstappen as the most famous driver, McLaren beats Red Bull

Then, when Ricardo was asked how he felt about returning to the beloved United States, there was some laughter at his fat Texas accent. Then, the two drivers sang a birthday song to a Christmas fan and reminisced about the adventures of Red Bull together.

However, the two differed on the topic of Drive to Survive and Netflix. Verstappen said earlier this week that he no longer wants to talk to Netflix because his answers are being misrepresented anyway. Ricardo sees the series differently. “We all notice the impact of the series on the sport. We’re seeing growth, especially in the US. In Europe, of course, they grew up with Formula 1, so the difference isn’t that big there, but here in the States, it’s very noticeable.” Thus, unlike Verstappen, Ricciardo is pleased with the series. “It’s okay, I think we might have a slightly different relationship with the series.”

Also read: Verstappen criticizes Drive to Survive campaign: ‘So much is fake, pushing Hamilton’s shoulder will be in it’

Max is ready

The conversation became more serious when the title fight between Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton surfaced. Ricardo enjoys watching that fight from a distance. “There was a phase at the beginning of Max’s career where he was very excited and nervous. I think he learned from that around 2018 and matured. The last few seasons have been impressive and while Lewis has experience winning world titles, I don’t think that gives him an advantage. I think Max is stable. Absolutely and he should be able to do it [om de titel te pakken]. I’m looking forward to seeing it unfold, but Max is ready.”

In FORMULA 1 Magazine No. 14, you can read all about the title fight between Max Verstappen and Lewis Hamilton! Buy it now in store or order it here! Use the free code for free shipping.