‘It would’ve been better if he stayed’ - Verstappen reacts to Ricciardo's return

On Wednesday, Red Bull announced the news that Ricciardo would be their third driver - driving for the team during marketing events and show runs.

He will also support the team by driving in the Red Bull simulator, aiding their efforts on track.

It does mean Ricciardo rejoins the team he decided to leave at the end of 2018.

The Australian was frustrated that Red Bull had backed Verstappen after the pair’s collision at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix, ultimately leading to his decision to join Renault.

Reflecting on the news that Ricciardo has returned, Verstappen felt that he should have never left Red Bull in the first place.

“It would have been better for Daniel if he had stayed longer at Red Bull at the time,” Verstappen told Formule1.nl. “I did talk to him about it. It’s also about feeling comfortable somewhere. That was no longer the case at one point.

“Then you have to look at alternatives and make the trade-off between sporting success and feeling good somewhere.

“However, I do know everyone at Red Bull had his best interests at heart. Instead of leaving, he could have talked to the team about it. But it turned out the way it did.”

It’s unlikely Ricciardo will have a route back into F1 with Verstappen’s current teammate, Sergio Perez, locked down until the end of 2024.

“Now Daniel will be reserve driver with us, we don’t have to start missing his character in Formula 1,” Verstappen added. Daniel comes across well and laughs a lot but, in the end, it’s not about the laughs it’s about the performances.

“Daniel has certainly delivered those in the past, but in F1 the rule is that you are only as good as your last race.”