Verstappen smiles as Ricciardo makes surprise appearance in Red Bull challenge

Together with Racing Bulls rookie Arvid Lindblad, Verstappen took on a series of challenges with Ford cars spanning a century.

At one point of the video, Ricciardo also arrived. Being surprised by his ex-teammate, Verstappen could only smile.

The final showdown was eventually won by Lindblad. After hearing the results, Verstappen told the Australian, "You need to have a go," while shaking his hand. Ricciardo answered with his trademark smile: "I know, I know, I might put a race suit on."

Verstappen added: "Just go in, just jump in!"

Red Bull Racing also posted an image on social media showing Verstappen and Ricciardo having a chat.

Ricciardo was Verstappen's teammate from 2016 until 2018, before he left for Renault. The two continued to maintain a good relationship while racing for other teams as well.

After being replaced by Oscar Piastri at McLaren at the end of 2022, Ricciardo returned as a full-time driver to AlphaTauri in 2023. His final F1 race was the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix before he had to make way for Liam Lawson at VCARB.

The Australian is currently an ambassador for Ford Racing. The American brand is working in collaboration with Red Bull to develop the team's first in-house engine for the 2026 season.

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