Max Verstappen vs Daniel Ricciardo: 3 times things got heated between the two drivers as Red Bull teammates

The relationship between Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo has often been mentioned as one of the best within the F1 paddock in recent years. The two have seemingly gotten closer over the years, but tensions boiled over several times when they were teammates at Red Bull.

Midway through the 2016 F1 season, Verstappen was promoted to the Red Bull team, partnering with Daniel Ricciardo. They formed a strong partnership, which was friendly until it wasn't.

Let's take a look at three instances when things got heated between the two.

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3 times things got heated between Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo

#3. 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix

A collision between Sebastian Vettel and Nico Rosberg, followed by an engine failure for Lewis Hamilton, meant that Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were in a fight for the lead of a race virtually for the first time at the 2016 Malaysian GP.

Ricciardo led the race from lap 41 onwards, chased aggressively by a teenage Verstappen. The pair battled it out in brilliant fashion, going side by side on many occasions amid a heated battle.

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo on the podium -2016 Malaysian Grand Prix - Source: Getty

The Aussie came out on top after a respectful showing from both drivers, but one that could have easily ended in a crash. It set a marker from Ricciardo, showing Verstappen that he would not be easily moved.

#2. 2017 Hungarian Grand Prix

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo had their first high-profile crash at the beginning of the 2017 Hungarian GP. After going over the curb in Turn 1, Verstappen was almost overtaken by his teammate into Turn 2, but a lock-up from the Dutchman sent him crashing into Ricciardo, who had to retire then and there.

Fuming with the incident, Ricciardo lashed out, calling Verstappen a "f***ing sore loser" for the crash. Verstappen, who received a 10-second time penalty for the crash, apologized for it after the race on social media.

Ricciardo also branded the mistake by Verstappen as "amateur," but tensions were somewhat cooled by the teenager's public apology.

#1. 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix

The sister RB14 cars after the 2018 Azerbaijan GP - Source: Getty

Inarguably, the worst moment during the Verstappen-Ricciardo Red Bull partnership came at the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix.

On lap 40, the pair was battling for fourth, with Verstappen ahead going into Turn 1. Ricciardo attempted to make a move on the outside, but collided into the back of his teammate, who had swerved over to cover him off.

Both drivers went crashing into the runoff area in front of Turn 1 and were instantly out of the race. This caused huge controversy for the drivers and Red Bull, who now had an almost unmanageable driver partnership on their hands.

This moment is often considered to be the tipping point for Ricciardo, who left Red Bull at the end of the 2018 F1 season. The 8-time race-winner went to Renault in search of a fresh start.

There were also reports that Ricciardo feared becoming the second driver to Verstappen, who had clearly become the Austrian team's golden boy at the time. This theory was also floated by team boss Christian Horner in 2018.

Edited by Hitesh Nigam