Former Formula 1 driver Daniel Ricciardo reached out to Max Verstappen with a direct message following the Red Bull and Ford joint power unit success.
The breakthrough achieved by Red Bull’s independent engine manufacturing project left a strong impression on Ricciardo. The Australian driver sent a special message to Verstappen and the specialists in Milton Keynes after their competitive debut.
Christian Horner laid the foundations for the Red Bull Powertrains-Ford project, while Verstappen played a central role in helping the team transition into an independent engine manufacturer Racing News 365. That development effort yielded immediate results on track, with the custom power unit securing pole positions and race victories during its opening season Racing News 365.
Ricciardo currently serves as a brand ambassador for Ford. Between 2016 and 2018, he raced alongside Verstappen as a Red Bull teammate.
🚨| Daniel Ricciardo Shares Message to Max Verstappen After Red Bull's Historic Win: — Daniel Ricciardo reached out to Max Verstappen and the Red Bull team to congratulate them on their significant victory at the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia. Speaking to media, Ricciardo… pic.twitter.com/elSPfgyUTZ
“I’m very happy for all of their success,” Ricciardo said on the Cars and Culture podcast Racing News 365. “I look back fondly on my time as Max’s teammate, it was a great era. We had moments of tough rivalry and fierce battles, but that’s exactly what pushed us to reach a higher level, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.”
“It goes without saying that he has had a massive career and will undoubtedly go down as one of the most prominent figures in the history of the sport. He is simply a driver blessed with astonishing talent, managing to win at least one race in every single year he spent at Red Bull.”
“And the fact that they managed to win in their very first joint season as partners with Ford is almost incomprehensible to me. I knew the project and the work going on behind the scenes to some extent, but I still cannot fully grasp the total amount of energy invested. Nobody would have been more suited for this task than Max.”
“The whole story is fascinating. Right after the success, I immediately wrote to Max and several former team members to share my joy and congratulate them. They received the outreach very well, because there are so many great people working in that stable,” the Australian driver concluded Racing News 365.
Statistical metrics show the Red Bull Powertrains-Ford collaboration outperformed Ferrari in race victories during the current campaign Racing News 365.
