Max Verstappen's haunting comments resurface after Daniel Ricciardo taken to hospital
The Australian was involved in a motorbike accident this week.
A clip of Max Verstappen predicting former Red Bull team-mate Daniel Ricciardo would suffer an unfortunate injury on a dirt bike has resurfaced. Ricciardo was reported to have been taken to hospital after suffering a motorcycle injury while riding in Australia earlier this week.
The full details about Ricciardo’s injury aren’t yet known, but it isn’t said to have been anything major and he is rumoured to be in good spirits. Ricciardo is believed to have come off his bike while riding the bike in Daintree, northern Queensland, earlier this week.
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However, in the aftermath of the ex-Formula One star’s injury, a clip from an interview with Ricciardo and Verstappen has re-emerged online. It was taken during the 2024 season, with Ricciardo asked how he planned on spending time with Verstappen while the pair were in his native Australia.
Ricciardo was asked: “Dan, you’ve got one perfect day with Max as your date. Where do you take him in Australia?” To which he replied: "To my farm. And we would ride… Honda, little 110cc dirt bikes. That is what we’d be doing all day.”
Verstappen, unsure on the suggestion, joked: “And then we call Red Bull and we’re like: ‘Argh, we just had a shunt. We can’t do the next four races because Daniel’s collarbone has gone!’” Little did he know that just over a year later, a similar situation would end up playing out.
Ricciardo has been out of the limelight ever since he was ditched by VCARB midway through the 2024 Formula One season. The 36-year-old has been tentatively linked with a return, most notably to Cadillac, who are set to start racing next year.
Speaking recently about his time as a driver, he said: "It took me a long time to realise I was actually doing it because, yeah, it's a dream and you think about it as a kid. And when you're there and you make it, you're like, 'Wow.' It happens very quick, but I mean obviously, I'm very appreciative for the career that I had and very grateful to do what I loved for some time."
Back on the track, racing will resume following the summer break at the end of August for the Dutch Grand Prix. Oscar Piastri currently leads the way at the top of the Drivers’ Championship standings, just ahead of McLaren team-mate and title contender Lando Norris.