“Naughty Boy” Max Verstappen Once Broke Character to Win Over Daniel Ricciardo After Notorious Crash: “We Had a Private Sit Down…”

The 2017 Hungarian GP ended pretty early for Daniel Ricciardo as he crashed with his teammate Max Verstappen. The ever-smiling Honey Badger was left furious after the incident. He revealed how he kept himself calm and how he handled the situation maturely with Max after the race.

The 2017 Formula 1 season was a forgettable one for Red Bull. Not only did they fail to challenge Mercedes for the championships, but they also fell behind Ferrari in the points tally. While Max Verstappen fall prey to 7 DNFs, his teammate Daniel Ricciardo had 6 of them. One of those 6 came for the Honey Badger in Hungary at the hands of his own teammate.

Daniel Ricciardo revealed how he handled the situation with Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo started the 2017 Hungarian GP in P5 and P6, respectively. As the race started, Ricciardo overtook Verstappen, however, the Dutchman wasn’t ready to give the place. He turned into his teammate in the second corner and collided. The incident left Daniel with a rear-left puncture which saw him lose control of his car. Resultantly, he spun around in Turn 3 and stopped in the middle of the track.

Ricciardo recalled the incident later in an interview with Channel 4 when the interviewer asked him how he kept his cool because Max was being a “naughty boy”. Daniel said, “The marshall was like pulling me off the track. I was like ‘don’t touch me’. I really wanted to wait for Max’s drive past. So, I mean, heat of the moment obviously and I may have said some things which, at the time, maybe, whatever. But I still feel like all that, I still handled myself alright.”

“He [Max] apologized like a man. That was important and I can’t ask him for the points or anything. So, at least he can look me in the eye. We had a private sit down, pretty much like we are now, without the cameras and we spoke. So that was important.”

Read More: “I’m Going to Be the Best Auntie”: Pop Icon Kylie Minogue Once Left Daniel Ricciardo Blushing With a Flattering Request

Ricciardo finished the 2017 season in 5th, ahead of his teammate in 6th. Those were the times the current champion was still getting a grip on things in Formula 1. Having a teammate like Daniel Ricciardo surely must have helped him in that.

Jos Verstappen reveals the impact Daniel Ricciardo had on Max Verstappen

Max Verstappen moved to Red Bull in 2016 after earning his promotion, driving for sister team Toro Rosso. He joined Daniel Ricciardo, who Jos Verstappen, Max’s father, credits for his son’s development.

Speaking with Formula 1 Magazine, Jos revealed, “[I] find it very difficult to say. I do think maybe he learnt the most from Daniel Ricciardo, a nice peer he got on very well with. Max was a young guy then and Ricciardo really good, a qualifying beast.”

Watch This Story: Daniel Ricciardo’s Best Moments in F1

Until now, we believed Jos was the biggest influence on Max’s driving style but the revelation from the man himself is a testament to the effect Daniel Ricciardo had on his young teammate.