Daniel Ricciardo has explained that he messaged Max Verstappen and other people at Red Bull to congratulate them on their landmark victory in the Bahrain Grand Prix in Malaysia.
At the recent Sepang race, Verstappen took the first pole position for Red Bull Powertrains-Ford, and then converted that into victory the next day as RBPT-Ford became a race-winner in its first season.
Verstappen has since followed that with victory in the Singapore Sprint, in Singapore, and then Mexico City, with RBPT-Ford, in its first year of production, currently holding more grand prix wins and poles than Ferrari, which has two victories and one pole to RBPT's three wins, plus a Sprint, and two poles.
The project was initially founded by former boss Christian Horner, with Verstappen a key pillar of the project as Red Bull moved from constructor to engine manufacturer for F1's new 2026 era.
Ricciardo, who was Verstappen's team-mate between May 2016 and November 2018 at Red Bull during its lean Renault-powered years, is now a Ford ambassador, and revealed that he had been in contact with Verstappen after the landmark win in Sepang - a circuit at which Ricciardo himself won in a one-two with Verstappen in 2016, back when the venue held the Malaysian GP.
"Very happy, for all of them," Ricciardo said on the Cars and Culture with Jason Stein podcast, when asked about the breakthrough win.
"I look back on my time as team-mates with Max very fondly; it was a cool time. And yes, there were moments of intense rivalry and competition and all of it, but it made us push ourselves to another level. I loved that.
"Of course, he has gone on and done so much, and he’s going to go down as one of the best ever, no doubt about it. He’s an insane talent.
"Every year he has been with Red Bull, he’s won a race. For them to do it, with Ford Racing this year, to come out and win... I can’t even comprehend.
"I knew a bit about the project and what they were building, but I can’t comprehend everything that has gone into it. And for them to go and win in their first season together, there is no better guy to do it than Max.
"The whole thing has been awesome. I sent Max and quite a few others in the team that I still talk with a message after, to share my congrats and happiness.
"It was received well; there are a lot of good people in that team."
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