Lando Norris took the “simply lovely” catchphrase used by Max Verstappen after his race win at Zandvoort last time out, and Daniel Ricciardo said with a knowing laugh that his former McLaren colleague should be careful as a result, knowing how competitive Verstappen is.
In taking victory by 22.8 seconds in front of Verstappen’s home fans last weekend, Norris took to team radio to give a “simply lovely, huh?” to his race engineer, which Ricciardo believes his ex-Red Bull team-mate “would not have taken very nicely.”
Max Verstappen wouldn’t have taken ‘simply lovely’ message ‘very nicely’ – Daniel Ricciardo
Additional reporting by Thomas Maher and Sam Cooper
Ricciardo has faced both Norris and Verstappen at different times in his career, driving against the Briton more recently at McLaren after facing an up-and-coming Verstappen at Red Bull.
He was full of praise for both drivers, but while he noted the “confidence” of Norris to give that radio message on Sunday, Ricciardo knows that Verstappen will have seen that and not taken it too well – given the ultimate competitor he is.
“They both are obviously supremely talented,” Ricciardo said in Monza.
“I’ve had the pleasure of being team-mates with both of them.
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