Reigning two-time champion Max Verstappen shared his true feelings regarding former teammate Daniel Ricciardo's departure from Red Bull Racing at the end of the 2018 Formula 1 season.
The Dutchman was asked if he was open to teaming up again with the eight-time race winner.
"Yeah... I mean, I never actually wanted him to leave! No, I mean, all of these things... We know that we get on very well," the 25-year-old said.
The two were teammates since the 2016 Spanish Grand Prix, when Verstappen came up from junior team Toro Rosso to replace Danil Kyvat, until the end of the 2018 season when Ricciardo left for Renault.
As much as they got along during their time together as the defending Constructors' champions, tensions began brewing between them due to their competitive nature.
Verstappen's meteoric rise from his Red Bull debut in 2016 made the veteran Ricciardo uneasy about his suggested top spot in the team.
It reached a boiling point in the 2018 Azerbaijan Grand Prix when the two collided and retired from the race, passing the blame on each other.
Read more: Lewis Hamilton Slams Red Bull For Nyck de Vries Treatment
Daniel Ricciardo is pitching for 2025 Red Bull seat
Red Bull Racing team principal and CEO Christian Horner said that Ricciardo aims to regain the second seat of the Milton Keynes-based outfit in the 2025 season after Sergio Perez's contract expires.
"I think Daniel is viewing AlphaTauri, he firmly wants to be pitching for that 2025 Red Bull seat. That's his golden objective. And by going to AlphaTauri, I think he sees that as his best route of stating his case for 2025," the 49-year-old executive said.
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