08 September 2023 , 11:15
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Daniel Ricciardo does not think Max Verstappen's recent success has changed his personality and mindset - and believes that is something to be admired.
The duo raced together at Red Bull for two-and-a-half years before Ricciardo departed for Renault in 2018. Since then, Verstappen has helped transform Red Bull into a dominant force, with the Dutchman set to win his third successive World Championship.
Verstappen is a mammoth 145 points ahead of teammate Sergio Perez in the Drivers' Standings. The 25-year-old secured a record-breaking 10th straight Formula One victory when he came out on top in the Italian Grand Prix last weekend, with Verstappen winning 12 of the 14 races this season.
However, despite his successes, Ricciardo admitted Verstappen's mentality has stayed the same since he raced alongside the two-time world champion. The Aussie also opened up on his relationship with Verstappen, having most recently been pictured together at the Netherlands Grand Prix.
"I was team-mates with Max for quite a few years, and we always had a pretty good time when we were team-mates together and had a laugh," Ricciardo told Red Bull's in-house Talking Bull podcast.
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"Even more so in the last few years, we've got on really well. I admire Max for his approach to racing, but also, after the success that he's had particularly over the last few years, he is kind of unchanged.
"Personality, mindset, whatever, it is like he hasn't really been affected by the success. That is easier said than done, and certainly at this level, I think admirable."
Daniel Ricciardo is undergoing rehabilitation on his broken hand (Leo Vogelzang ATPImages/Getty Images)Ricciardo returned as third driver to Red Bull for 2023 after losing his race seat with McLaren, before being loaned out to AlphaTauri to replace Nyck de Vries. But Ricciardo's progress was halted after he suffered a broken hand in practice for the Dutch Grand Prix.
He was forced to undergo surgery in the process. Speaking last month, Christian Horner said: "He had an operation earlier today. He's had several screws and a plate fitted to his metacarpal.
"It went well, it was successful. The bone was broken in multiple places but it was a fairly straightforward procedure. So now it's all about recovery. We'll see. For a normal being, that would be a couple of months. For a Grand Prix driver, it's probably much shorter."
Ricciardo wrote on social media: "Had surgery this morning, got my first bit of metal work so that's pretty cool. Big thanks to everyone who reached out and kept my spirits up. This ain't a setback, just all part of the comeback."