Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen shared a few combustible seasons together as teammates at Red Bull. While things really took a turn for the worse in 2018, Ricciardo’s final year with the team, the two were the original bromance of the newest generation of Formula 1. Needless to say, even though the two parted ways, they did still maintain their close bond and friendship. And as the Honey Badger makes his return to the Milton-Keynes-based outfit, the bromance is still alive.

Verstappen has garnered a certain image on track. The Dutch lion is feared for his aggression. However, off-track, he’s known for being a pretty amicable guy. Currently, chatter around in the F1 paddock is about the tension between Verstappen and his teammate, Sergio Perez. But thanks to Daniel Ricciardo, we got a sniff of the camaraderie the two share off the track.

Sergio Perez exposes Max Verstappen

Ricciardo is a self-professed American. That being said, by nationality, he’s Australian. Hence, on the eve of the Miami GP, and even though he’s America’s sweetheart, when Verstappen and Perez were asked to name their favorite Americans, the 2x champion was about to give Ricciardo the cold shoulder.

In a video released on TikTok, Verstappen was quoted as saying, “I don’t have a favorite anyone-” But before he was done, Perez was quick to remind his teammate of the folly he was making. He quickly quipped, “Daniel! Daniel Ricciardo.”

This prompted Verstappen to remark, “He’s an import. An American import!”

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The balance within the team has surely improved since Ricciardo returned. But what exactly draws the haughty Verstappen to the affable Ricciardo after all?

Verstappen reveals why he likes Daniel Ricciardo

When they were together at Red Bull, both in a racing capacity, they fought tooth-and-nail with each other. Naturally, things even went out of control, with the two taking each other out occasionally, too. But through all the acrimony one redeeming feature about the 33-year-old kept Verstappen feeling friendly.

In 2021, PlanetF1.com quoted Verstappen as saying, “Because [Ricciardo and I] both live in Monaco, you see each other a bit more of course. We often travel to the circuits together and share a plane, for example. Then we don’t only talk about Formula 1. We can also talk about other things. In the end, Formula 1 is part of your life, but it is not everything.”

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Can we expect to see a sequel of Verstappen v. Ricciardo at Red Bull in 2024?