“That’s What He Did When the Cameras Were Off” : Why Daniel Ricciardo Respects Sebastian Vettel

Sebastian Vettel and Daniel Ricciardo were teammates at Red Bull, during the 2014 F1 season. This was the duo’s only season together at Red Bull before Vettel left for Ferrari. It was a season in which Vettel finished without a win, while Ricciardo won three races, helping Red Bull to a second-place finish. Fast forward to 6 years later, the 4-time world champion finds himself without a drive for 2021, while Ricciardo leaves Renault for McLaren. Nevertheless, Ricciardo only has high praise and respect for his former teammate.

Daniel Ricciardo calls Sebastian Vettel a superstar in F1

Speaking about Vettel, in an Instagram live, Ricciardo said, “I have very good memories of working with Vettel. Of course, we had difficult conditions, especially for Sebastian after four world titles, but he was still as competitive on the track as before. After the race, he always came to me and congratulated me on the result. Not only was he a good sportsman, but he was always very honest and sincere. That’s what he did when the cameras were off. I got a lot of respect for him there.”

Furthermore, he said, “We’ve always respected each other and he’s one of the superstars of our sport. He does everything on his own. He’s not on Instagram and he’s really someone of the old school. I respect that too, because he has to be able to stand behind his own things.”

It is clear for all to see how much respect the Australian has for the German and likewise. A week ago, Daniel Ricciardo had sung some more praises of the 4-time world champion and hoped that he didn’t retire in 2021.

However, for the moment, Vettel is still a Ferrari and driver and Ricciardo still has a season at Renault. Both of them will be looking to hit the ground (track) running and will be hoping for a better season in 2020, than the one they had last year.