THE GOOD OIL
Formula 1 racing driver Max Verstappen has told a Dutch newspaper that he won’t miss former Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo. Jeez Max, tell us what you really think.
“No, I won’t miss him,” the 21-year-old told Algemeen Dagblad. “He was fun and pleasant to have as a team-mate. That doesn’t happen often and perhaps it won’t happen again. But will I miss him? I believe Daniel will miss what he had here.”
Hmm, okay then. So, not so much a backhanded insult as a dig that the Australian’s next port of call in the F1 circus — that of midfielder Renault — might not bear as much fruit as Ricciardo hopes.
Maybe there is a bit of engine supplier loyalty at play in Verstappen’s comments, too. He went on to say in the interview that he thinks Ricciardo is leaving Red Bull at the wrong time, just as it switches from Renault power to works partner Honda. Not that that supplier arrangement has gone well lately for other teams, namely McLaren.
“Honda’s whole attitude and the plans they have, it’s totally different compared to what we were used to with Renault,” he said. “With Renault we always had to push. It always had to come from us, and it was usually ignored. Now it is the other way around,” he said.
On-track disasters aside, Verstappen’s incoming teammate, ex-Torro Rosso racer Pierre Gasly, will just be glad to be somewhere closer to the podium during 2019. Let’s hope that Honda’s engine tech is up to the challenge.
HE WAS FUN AND PLEASANT TO HAVE AS A TEAM-MATE. THAT DOESN’T HAPPEN OFTEN AND PERHAPS IT WON’T HAPPEN AGAIN