“Just Hit Puberty Last Week”: Daniel Ricciardo Took Brutal Hit at 19-Year-Old Max Verstappen but With a Good Heart

Back in the day, when the Honey Badger, Daniel Ricciardo, was a young Max Verstappen’s teammate; the two shared a bond that continued even after Daniel moved on from the Austrian team. Now that the Australian is back to the home team, we look back in time when Ricciardo made cheeky comments about his former teammate for his birthday.

Daniel Ricciardo did an exclusive interview with ‘Crash.net’ to answer a few questions about F1 life. Some revolved around his driving career, whilst some touched on the subject of his relationship with the young Dutch Lion.

Elaborating on the relationship, Crash.net asked Ricciardo about his views on his fellow Red Bull man. To this, Ricciardo spoke about 19-year-old Max Verstappen. He said, “Just hit puberty last week I believe [stays deadpan]. He is very, let’s say very naturally talented. Very determined. The future awaits to see how much more he can grow.”

Furthermore, the interviewer got curious as to how Ricciardo celebrated the Dutch Lion’s birthday. Ricciardo was asked if he brought Verstappen a birthday card. Ricciardo was quick to respond, saying, “I don’t do cards. I do hugs.”

Read More: “You Were Bit Like a Joker”: Max Verstappen Once Sent Daniel Ricciardo Into Fits With Quip About His Fan Favorite “Looks”

Ricciardo also shared some special moments- the ones he shared with his dad growing up. Some of them were his very first memories of F1.

Daniel Ricciardo delved into childhood stories

As the conversation progressed further, Daniel Ricciardo was questioned about things that he loved about F1. One such question particularly was about his very first F1 memories. Reflecting on his early F1 experiences, Ricciardo delved into his childhood and shared a special story about his dad.

Ricciardo said, “Early mornings. I didn’t even set alarms. That was a freebie thing. If there was a race on at 3 am, I’m not kidding you, I would wake up at 2.50 am and I would just go to my Dad’s… my Mum and Dad’s bedroom and lay on their bed, I would wake them up, turn the TV on. I would sit on their bed and watch it.”

He also added that “Dad would be awake for about 10 laps and fall asleep and then I’d wake him up for the end. And I would stay awake the whole race.”

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Daniel Ricciardo was once a promising racer, however, with the next year off the grid, will the Australian miss it? Would he eventually want to get back to it?