Max Verstappen has suggested that he is open to reuniting with Daniel Ricciardo at the Red Bull Formula 1 team in the future.
Ricciardo has returned to a full-time driver role with AlphaTauri, replacing Nyck de Vries for the remainder of the 2023 season.
The duo were once paired together at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018 – however Ricciardo opted to seek a new challenge and joined Renault in 2019.
After two years at the French manufacturer, he linked up with McLaren, which resulted in a challenging period for the Australian driver.
Ricciardo and McLaren parted ways at the end of 2022 and Ricciardo returned to Red Bull in a third driver role, assisting the team with simulator and marketing duties in the opening half of 2023.
The 34-year-old has asserted that his dream is to return to a full-time seat with Red Bull – a possibility that Verstappen is open to.
“I never actually wanted him to leave,” he said.
“We know that we get on very well, if Daniel does well where he is now, then of course he has the opportunity to go back up, so it is all open.”
Sergio Perez currently partners Verstappen but is under scrutiny after failing to reach Q3 at the previous five F1 events.
With the dismissal of de Vries serving as a reminder of Red Bull’s responsive handling of its drivers, Verstappen admits he is sad to see his compatriot lose his F1 seat.
“On the other side, I am good friends with Nyck, so it’s also sad to see him go,” he said. “But unfortunately that’s how this world works.
“I don’t think there are any hard feelings between the drivers. The opportunity is here with Daniel again, he has had his little reset, so I think he’s ready to go again.”
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