Friday, 29 Mar, 2024
CLOSE

“I beat him, but he’s fun” – Valtteri Bottas explains the relationship with Daniel Ricciardo


Emilia Romagna GP: Bottas insists that Mercedes' F1 dominance is over

Daniel Ricciardo is known to get along with almost every F1 driver on the grid. However, the fans still have to experience a moment between the Australian and Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas. And that leads us to the question of whether the two of them are even friends off the beaten track.

ADVERTISING

The article continues below this ad

Well, Bottas managed to open up on the matter while responding to school kids. Mercedes F1 posted a video on social media in which children ask the Finn interesting questions.

One of them asked about the honey badger. He asked: “Are you friends with Daniel Ricciardo?”

ADVERTISING

The article continues below this ad

What did Valtteri Bottas say?

The nine-time Grand Prix winner spoke of his relationship with Ricciardo from the track, despite denying everything special enough to be called friendship.

Formula 1 F1 – Portuguese Grand Prix – International Algarve Circuit – Portimao, Portugal – Mercedes’ Valtteri Bottas in front of the racing pool via REUTERS / Gabriel Bouys

The Finn also mentioned his on-track rivalry with Ricciardo, which dates back to 2008 when he fought alongside the McLaren driver in Formula Renault.

“Somehow yes. I mean, I’m fine with him. I’ve never really spent any time off-track with him. We obviously fought a lot in F1, ”he said.

“And in 2008 we actually drove together in Formula Renault. And I beat him for the title this year. But it’s a lot of fun, ”added Bottas.

Bottas versus Ricciardo

While many may not be aware of this, Bottas and Ricciardo had an intense rivalry in their early days in racing. It all started with Formula Renault 2.0 in 2008.

The duo drove on seven of the most famous tracks in Europe, including Spa, Silverstone, Hungaroring, Nürburgring and Barcelona. The season consisted of 14 rounds, of which Ricciardo won six. In the meantime Bottas has won five races.

ADVERTISING

The article continues below this ad

And the duo’s rivalry resulted in the final round of the season in Spain. And they shared the victory among themselves; The first round went to Bottas, the second to the Honey Badger.

Ultimately, Bottas managed to outperform the Australian by just three points and take the title this season. And the duo split after their brief rivalry. The Finn switched to the Formula 3 Euro Series, while Ricciardo opted for the British championship.

Five years later, in 2013, Bottas and Ricciardo found themselves back in the same league. only this time it was F1. Nine years have passed and they are still competing but still have a hard time.

ADVERTISING

The article continues below this ad

Will the duo manage to get their rivalry going again in the years to come?

The post “I beat him, but he’s fun” – Valtteri Bottas explains the relationship with Daniel Ricciardo first appeared on monter-une-startup.