Listen, idc what happens with this red bull seat, all I know is arvid lindblad better get the call up before max leaves so that I can write some angst-ridden, psychological-rich fic. like-
there's just something so narratively delicious about the idea of max suddenly having daniel's younger, 'mirror image' right in front of him. looking exactly like daniel did in 2016.
only this time, the roles are reversed and max is the one who is older and more experienced. and maybe he starts to Realize a lot of things, old wounds that suddenly re-open. because yes, he wants to mentor and support arvid but at the same time, there's this nagging sense of bitterness and resentment because he's Not Daniel. not his daniel. and seeing the media constantly draw comparisons between arvid and daniel sets max's teeth on edge.
and he knows daniel wouldn't mind. it's been two years and it's clear now that he does not want to come back. that's ok, max can see that he's happy. he can see him on instagram. sometimes. and he always looks happy, with a big smile. and that's good. it's been two years, so why does this ache in his chest keep getting worse? why does he feel sick every time he sees arvid's number 3 across the nose of the car? why does he flinch every time arvid turns his head and for a moment he thinks oh, it's dan—
What if you were max verstappen and what if this really hot older man met you at a karting thing and he was a fancy f1 driver who also wished you good luck for your super licence and he ends up being your teammate and you didnt know teammates were supposed to be this way because no one else is this way and what if he left you and the team and everyone thought he left because of you but it turns out he's still your friend and he would chase the feeling of having you as a teammate chasing chasing chasing the same feeling he had with you but it is never the same as it was with you and you never chased the feeling because there could only ever be him and then what if you won and you kept winning and he kept having his career ripped to pieces but he always smiled for you and supported you and said "if it's not me then im glad it's him"
and then!!! and then he comes back!!! he could be your teammate again but he joins the junior team but he's still in the family and you get to joke around in the same spot and then!!! he could be back in the car next to you!!!! he writes you a tribute and it makes you have to walk away from prying eyes because he wrote it with such love but then your boss is an incompetent asshole and he ends up walking away forever and you thought you lost him but truly it was never about the sport you were in you were meant to be friends and teammates forever and ever because he still watches your races and comes to a different continent to just play padel with you and it's just you and him forever and you just saw him a few days ago but he's part of a congratulations message and he calls you spectacular like he did so many years ago and you're just a man and you love him and also that man is daniel ricciardo
’just so you know someone took a picture with daniel ricciardo’ sshjshjs
so eh...... maxiel huh
what if we used to be teammates and it was my last race (maybe probably possibly) and I gave u everything I had left to give. when ur arguably the reason my career didn't go the way it should have. when I had to leave (because of) u. when I had to watch u succeed where I failed. when I was glad it was u if it couldn't be me. what if it was my last race and u held my umbrella for me and didn't leave my side the whole time and defended me in the media and I gave u everything I had left to give. one last time. and we used to be teammates. what then?
thank you daniel
“I actually thought that some people though at times that we might be even in a relationship”
- Daniel Ricciardo on spending so much time with Max Verstappen
Sooo this is the longer version. Max was in the middle of interview and got distracted by Daniel. Thank you Red Bull Racing, well done Baku!
you go about having fun little fantasies about Daniel returning to racing and you see 2 seconds videos of him laughing with his friends and you think, maybe he’s ok now. you have accredited journalists quoting videos of him insisting he is fine, the happiest he’s been and you think, maybe he really is ok. and then you get hit in the face by a throwaway comment, to people he isn’t even that close to and you’re left feeling like you’ve been hit by asteroid. see you in the next life. haha, so funny, so Daniel in a way. and yet, fucking hell. what a slap to the face. it’s been months of everybody having something to say about Daniel while he’s been silent, because fucking hell, that was a very real thing that happened to him. he was publicly eviscerated and thrown out of the sport he gave his whole life to. how do you ever get over that? you never do. you never do, so you run away from the one thing you ever loved the most
The more things change, the more they stay the same | 2011 -> 2024
The bucket hat the jacket brooooooooo hahahahahahahahahahahaha
daniel ricciardo and his girlfriend, heidi berger, spotted at the disney california adventure park | 15.10.24