“A strange intimacy”: Daniel Ricciardo reveals how his friendship with Max Verstappen began. What we saw in Singapore was just the latest act of friendship between Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo.

Max Verstappen’s words of praise for Daniel Ricciardo after the announcement of his departure were not the only ones, but they immediately seemed very special. The two have never denied having a good relationship that has united them over the years.

At the end of the Singapore GP, Verstappen praised the Australian and their relationship. “Daniel and I, of course, have a long history together. We’ve always had a great relationship, a strong friendship, and also a lot of mutual respect. The memory of a good person in the paddock will definitely remain.”

Daniel Ricciardo responded with kind words as well. “As teammates, you definitely get to know each other better. You spend a lot of time together, share data, and more. In the end, you also learn to understand how the other thinks and what’s going on in their mind. Knowing how the other thinks, mutually, allows for a strange intimacy.” – he explained.

“Our careers have been very different. After being teammates, he started dominating, winning races and championships. We’ve remained rivals, but we’ve also had a lot of fun, and the mutual respect has never been lacking.” – the Australian explained.

Then, Daniel Ricciardo shared an anecdote from the start of the 2024 Formula One season, when, after the difficulties encountered during the Japanese Grand Prix, the first speculations about his future in F1 began. In that instance, Max Verstappen had some kind words for his Australian colleague.

“He was one of the few to send me a message. After that Japanese GP, many people attacked me, and too many were talking about my future. In that case, Max stood by my side and was kind to me. His message read, ‘Mate, keep your head up, we know what you’re capable of. Don’t listen to these rumors.’ I really appreciated that,” added the now former Racing Bulls driver.