"They're both non-sexual": When Daniel Ricciardo gave a witty response on his relationship with Max Verstappen and Nico Hulkenberg

Former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo previously gave a hilarious response to describing his "non-sexual" dynamic with his ex-teammates Nico Hulkenberg and Max Verstappen. The Aussie driver left the sport at the end of the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix as he was dropped by Racing Bulls with six races remaining.

The eight-time F1 race winner joined the Faenza-based outfit in Hungary in 2023 after replacing a struggling Nyck de Vries in his bid to get back to Red Bull in the future. However, the switch never materialized despite the 35-year-old coming close to it in the summer of 2024.

Speaking with Channel 4 in 2019, Daniel Ricciardo, who was then at Renault, was asked to describe his dynamic with then-teammate Nico Hulkenberg with his Red Bull teammate Max Verstappen. To which, the Aussie gave his trademark quirky response and said:

"I mean, they're both non-sexual, which is certainly encouraging. It's professional which I think is beneficial for the working environment."

Max Verstappen was asked about his relationship with Daniel Ricciardo in Singapore last year, to which he said (via F1.com):

“Daniel and I of course go a long way back. We have always had a great relationship, great friendship, and a lot of respect for each other as well, so he’s just a great guy.

"There is no fake person, we just get along and are easy-going, we are like that. He will for sure be remembered as a very fast driver, I think everyone knows that, but also as a great guy in the paddock," he added.

The duo were teammates at the Austrian team from 2016 to 2018 after Ricciardo decided to break away from the team to move to Renault.

Daniel Ricciardo heaps praise on Max Verstappen whilst describing his dynamic

Former F1 driver Daniel Ricciardo stated that he and Max Verstappen had a lot of "respect" for each other despite having a competitive time as teammate at Red Bull in the Dutch driver's early years.

Speaking with Sky Sports, the former McLaren driver reflected on the bond and said:

“It’s a funny thing because as teammates you just know each other more. You spend so much time together, you see all the data, you see everything. From a professional point of view, you can get inside each other’s head.

“Obviously then, after my Red Bull stint, he went on and won championships. I think at the time we had such a rivalry but also such a… I think we really enjoyed it and it became such a respect," he added.

The duo were often spotted hanging out on and off the track and were frequently spotted getting to and from race weekends together in the same plane. They have remained on friendly terms, with Daniel Ricciardo revealing that the Dutchman was one of the few drivers to reach out to him in his tough start to last year.