“Never Wanted Him to Leave”: Max Verstappen Humiliates Teammate Sergio Perez as He Makes a Heartfelt Confession for Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo hasn’t even made his official return to the track at the Hungarian GP yet, and he’s already compelling Max Verstappen to say things that could get him in trouble. Well, not with the FIA or anything, but definitely with his teammate, Sergio Perez. Just hours ago, the Formula 1 community got a sneak peek into the reunion of Ricciardo and Lando Norris—the duo lovingly called Landan—as they flew to Hungary together. And F1 didn’t seem like it wanted to wait any longer to reunite Daniel with another friend of his—Verstappen. At the drivers’ press conference, F1 put Maxiel in the same slot, and Max made a few heartwarming comments regarding Daniel, but that may have indirectly dissed Checo Perez.

Ricciardo was in Red Bull from 2014 to 2018 and spent two years partnering with Verstappen. Although they were fierce competitors on track—Daniel probably being the only teammate to have ever challenged Max—they were an inseparable duo off track. But as much fun as they had when they weren’t racing, Ricciardo could no longer sit back and be a second driver in the team, which is why he decided to leave. Verstappen was undeniably upset, not just because he was losing a teammate he bonded well with but also because he was losing a competitor. But how did Max humiliate Sergio Perez?

At the drivers’ press conference in Hungary, Verstappen was asked about Ricciardo and whether he would like to be teammates with him again. He replied, “Yeah… I mean, I never actually wanted him to leave! No, I mean, all of these things… We know that we get on very well.” This statement from the Dutchman proved how much he missed the competition, the challenge, and the thrill of beating a teammate after battling it out throughout a race or even a season.

Max added, “If Daniel does well where he is now, then of course you have the opportunity to go back up, right? So, it’s all open, to be honest.” Because as much as every driver dreams of winning, they like to fight for them too. And since Ricciardo’s departure, Verstappen hasn’t had anyone to truly challenge him, including Perez.

Read More: Daniel Ricciardo Subjected to Hard Hitting Reality as ‘Lando Norris Nightmare’ Touted as Biggest Challenge at AlphaTauri

At the start of the season, Red Bull already established itself as the team to beat, which dwindled all hopes of an inter-team championship battle. While most people weren’t expecting even an intra-team battle, Checo proved them wrong, at least for the first four races. But after the Miami GP, it all went downhill for the Mexican, and he hasn’t been able to regain his form. But now that Ricciardo is back in a Red Bull seat (even if it’s in AlphaTauri), could Verstappen be granted his wish?

Could Daniel Ricciardo return to Red Bull alongside Max Verstappen?

There was no doubt the F1 community got excited about a potential Verstappen versus Perez title fight four races into the season. But along with Checo’s form, everyone’s hopes (including Max’s) went down the drain. And now that Max is 99 points ahead in the championship, and Perez’s form doesn’t seem to be improving, his seat could be in danger. Since Red Bull signed Daniel as its reserve driver for 2023, the Aussie has expressed his intent on returning to the second seat at Red Bull. Could it be possible that he’ll replace Perez in 2024? It majorly depends on how he performs at AlphaTauri.

The AT04 is arguably the slowest car on the grid this season, but Yuki Tsunoda has managed to get a few good results. If Ricciardo hopes to get a second glance from Red Bull for the seat alongside Verstappen, he would have to outperform Tsunoda consistently. Because if he fails to do that, Red Bull would realize that if anyone had to replace Perez, and it came down to a choice between Yuki and Daniel, it would be Tsunoda. And Ricciardo would not get his fairytale ending.

Can you see Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen alongside each other in the future?

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