Ricciardo on 'friend' Vettel: 'It's not that common in terms of on grid'

Daniel Ricciardo struggled on several occasions this season. The Australian felt he was losing his place at McLaren, while seeing no interesting offers from other teams. At the tough moments, however, Ricciardo received support from Sebastian Vettel, he revealed in an interview with Speedcafe.com.

The German was in his final season in Formula 1 at Aston Martin this season and decided to give Ricciardo a heart to heart. "He’s picked up the phone multiple times this year and just been a friend," Ricciardo stated. "He just showing care and just checking in as a true friend will do."

Ricciardo stresses that close friendships do not usually exist in Formula 1, but that Vettel and he are an exception to the rule. "To have friends like that is so important, but it’s also not that common in terms of on the grid," he said.

"Some gestures he made this year, and some of the kindness he showed towards me was, in a way, unexpected but just super since – super, super nice," said the former McLaren driver, who will race for Red Bull Racing next season.

In addition to his work he has for the Austrian formation, Ricciardo wants to use the coming calendar year to think about his future. The driver is keeping a Formula One return in 2024 open, although he does not rule out another choice either.