Max Verstappen insists he is dealing with the loss of Daniel Ricciardo from Red Bull, although is delighted to have him back on the Formula 1 grid.
The Australian joined Scuderia AlphaTauri for the Hungarian Grand Prix after the team parted ways with Nyck de Vries.
Ricciardo made an immediate impression, out qualifying and out racing team-mate Yuki Tsunoda despite having no prior experience in the AT04.
“I think he had a very, very strong first weekend,” Verstappen said when asked about Ricciardo’s return by Speedcafe.
“Already in practice, qualifying, and then, of course, he had bad luck in Turn 1, and then he still fought his way back to P13.
“So I think for that first weekend, he did a great job.”
The performance comes after Ricciardo spent the opening 10 races of the season on the sidelines after agreeing to part ways with McLaren at the end of last year.
The 34-year-old Australian joined Red Bull as third driver, supporting Verstappen and team-mate Sergio Perez by performing simulator duties.
The eight-time race winner also took part in a post-British Grand Prix tyre test, with his performance critical to his return to the F1 grid.
Ricciardo’s 13th in Hungary was the team’s best result since Tsunoda finished 12th in Spain in early June.
While his return to the grid has been popular, Perez highlighted his value to Red Bull, suggesting he would be a loss to the all-conquering operation.
It is a view Verstappen half shares, understanding and appreciating his value but equally keen to see him back on track.
“Honestly, I’m happy that he’s back in the car,” said the two-time champion.
“I would always prefer him in a car than being our reserve because he deserves to be in a car.
“So we’ll deal with that loss. I’m happy to deal with that loss as long as he’s in a car.”
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