Max Verstappen is happy that Daniel Ricciardo has returned to Red Bull after four seasons, albeit in a different role. According to Verstappen, Red Bull can count on good help from the ‘professional and super nice’ Ricciardo.
Ricciardo was part of the Red Bull family for a long time, but decided to go for another adventure at Renault after the 2018 season. Except for podium places, that success failed to materialize, after which he ended up at McLaren. There, too, things did not go as hoped for the beloved Australian, who, except for his victory at Monza, can look back on his time with the British team with little satisfaction.
This year Ricciardo returns to Red Bull, albeit as third driver. He can therefore mainly be found in the simulator, so that he can contribute to the development of the RB19. Ricciardo has indicated that he will not be present at all races, but will be available as a reserve on some weekends.
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Verstappen describes Ricciardo as a ‘professional and a super nice guy to work with’. Not only for him, but also for the entire team, the Dutchman emphasizes. “Also in the factory, for the people who work in the simulator. They can rely on his experience. He has raced in Formula 1 for a long time and is a race winner. So we are very happy to have him in the team, that is for sure.”
Sergio Pérez also sees the arrival of Ricciardo as something positive. “We are lucky with Daniel, the amount of experience he has,” says the Mexican. “He knows what we are talking about,” says Pérez, who sees this as an especially important matter for the engineers at the factory. “So it’s good to have someone like that. He will be able to lend a helping hand, especially during the race weekends.”
Also read: Pérez does not feel any extra pressure due to the arrival of Ricciardo: “At Red Bull you always have to perform”
Praising words from Pérez to Ricciardo, although the arrival of the Australian is also seen as an opportunity to replace Pérez if performance is disappointing. However, Verstappen’s teammate is not worried about that. “No, because at Red Bull you always have to perform. So it doesn’t matter that Daniel is there.”
