When Max Verstappen joined Red Bull in 2016, he was seen as the next wonderkid that would propel them to title success.
Daniel Ricciardo had been the immediate successor to Sebastian Vettel in 2014 and although he brought them wins during the height of Mercedes dominance, a winless 2015 season led to doubts in their camp.
Verstappen and Ricciardo’s relationship was expected to be harmonious as the Australian would use his experience to get the Dutchman up to speed, while also challenging for titles.
But as their rivalry grew internally, it eventually spilled off on track at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen collide at 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix
After Ricciardo lost out to Verstappen at the start of the race, he spent much of the race chasing down the Dutchman. Verstappen was under pressure to beat Ricciardo after Red Bull were growing agitated over his crashes, so he was out to prove a point against the Australian.
As Red Bull looked on course to take a good haul of points home, they told both drivers to ensure any fight was clean. As Ricciardo closed on Verstappen on Lap 40, he made a move towards the first corner down the long Baku Street Circuit pit straight.
But as the Dutchman tried to defend late, Ricciardo hit the back of his teammate’s Red Bull, causing both of them to skid into the runoff area at Turn 1.
Team principal Christian Horner was furious, recalling their punishment for the incident when speaking to the Cambridge Union: “I made them go through every department [at Red Bull] and apologise for crashing the cars. They also had to pay the bill for the Christmas party. All the drinks were paid for by the drivers. That probably hurt them more than any other penalty.”
It would also be the turning point for Ricciardo at Red Bull, after he shocked the team with his announcement later in the season.
Daniel Ricciardo blames Max Verstappen for partially causing Red Bull exit
Growing discontent within Ricciardo led to him announcing he would not be renewing with Red Bull for 2019, instead making the switch to a works drive at Renault in a bid to bring them back to title success.
Renault were desperate for podiums and Ricciardo had proven he was capable while at Red Bull, while the Australian felt he was ready to make the next step in his career.
He also blamed the clash at Baku for part of the reason, as Ricciardo later revealed to BBC that he was not impressed with how Red Bull handled the crash: “I didn’t want to hold a grudge on that. I couldn’t tell you how many pieces made up the kaleidoscope, but I guess that was one of the little pieces.”
Ricciardo felt Verstappen had moved under braking, something that would later be outlawed in the regulations: “We both got a talking to, putting it politely. I felt like I was not really in the wrong, even if I’m the one who hit him. I think most people saw the double move.
“Before that there was a lot of contact, and a lot of people thought it went on too long. I guess the way it was handled at the time didn’t sit too well with me.”
What happened to Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen after their split?
It marked a turning point for both of their careers: Verstappen went on to challenge for more wins and eventually found title success in 2021, while Ricciardo’s career faded out with unfulfilled potential at Renault and one last race win at McLaren in 2021 at Monza.
He was dropped by McLaren at the end of 2022 in favour of Oscar Piastri and returned to Red Bull, before making a brief comeback at sister team Racing Bulls for the end of 2023.
| Driver | Wins | Poles | Titles |
| Max Verstappen | 65 | 44 | 4 |
| Daniel Ricciardo | 8 | 3 | 0 |
Ricciardo’s six-race deal was interrupted by a hand injury, which gave Liam Lawson a chance to shine and provided Red Bull with an important yardstick for the future.
After the Singapore GP midway through 2024, Ricciardo was sacked in favour of Lawson, bringing an end to his F1 career.