Ten years can feel like a lifetime in Formula 1. Cars change, regulations rewrite the rulebook, and careers take unexpected turns. Yet some moments stay frozen in the mind. In 2016 at the Malaysian Grand Prix in Sepang, Daniel Ricciardo crossed the line first with Max Verstappen right behind him. It was Red Bull’s first one-two finish in years, a hard-fought result built on wheel-to-wheel racing conducted with genuine respect.
Today that same circuit has delivered another landmark. Max Verstappen converted pole into victory in a race that marked the first grand prix win for Red Bull Ford Powertrains in its debut season under the 2026 regulations. Ricciardo, now a Ford ambassador and still connected to many of the people who once shared the garage with him, made sure to send his congratulations.
His words land differently because he once raced the same machinery against the same driver. That shared history gives his perspective a weight few others can match.
THE 2016 SEPANG 1-2 THAT STILL RESONATES
The 2016 Malaysian Grand Prix remains one of the cleaner, more sporting intra-team battles of the modern era. Lewis Hamilton’s engine failure opened the door. Ricciardo and Verstappen, on different strategies, went at it hard yet fairly. Team principal Christian Horner later said the mutual respect between the two allowed the team to let them race. Ricciardo held on for the win. Verstappen took second.
Both men have spoken about that afternoon with fondness. The racing was intense, the result shared, and the lessons lasting. Ricciardo has repeatedly said the rivalry forced both of them to raise their level. For a young Verstappen still establishing himself as a Red Bull driver, going up against an experienced and quick teammate every weekend accelerated his development. For Ricciardo, the experience of matching a generational talent left a permanent mark.
That afternoon at Sepang now sits as an early chapter in a much longer story.
RED BULL FORD POWERTRAINS AND THE FIRST WIN THAT MATTERS
The 2026 regulations brought a complete overhaul of the power unit formula. Red Bull, no longer a customer of Honda, committed to designing and building its own engines in partnership with Ford. The project, years in the making, carried significant risk. New manufacturers almost never win in their first season.
Verstappen changed that narrative at Sepang. The Bahrain Grand Prix, relocated to Malaysia for logistical reasons, delivered the first pole and first race victory for the Red Bull Ford Powertrains unit. Subsequent results, including further wins, have shown the package is already competitive far earlier than most expected.
This success is more than a single race result. It validates an enormous engineering investment, strengthens Red Bull’s long-term independence, and gives Ford a high-profile return to Formula 1 after more than two decades. For Verstappen, it adds another layer to a career already defined by titles and records: he is the driver who delivered the first win for a brand-new power unit manufacturer in the modern hybrid era.
WHY RICCIARDO’S PERSPECTIVE CARRIES EXTRA WEIGHT
Ricciardo knows Verstappen not only as a multiple world champion but as the teammate who once shared the same garage, the same data, and the same pressure. Their three seasons together produced both outstanding results and occasional friction. The Australian has been open about the intensity of that period and equally open about how much he valued it.
When Ricciardo says he is genuinely happy for Verstappen and the team, and when he describes the Dutchman as an “insane talent” who will go down as one of the very best, the comments carry authenticity. He has seen the work rate, the focus, and the pure competitive drive up close. He has also watched Verstappen win races in every season he has spent at Red Bull, a consistency few drivers in the sport’s history can claim.
That firsthand knowledge makes Ricciardo’s congratulations more than polite paddock protocol. It is recognition from someone who once measured himself against the same standard every weekend.
THE BIGGER PICTURE FOR ATHLETES, TEAMS AND THE SPORT
Verstappen’s early success with the new power unit reinforces his status among the all-time greats while simultaneously proving that Red Bull’s ambitious vertical integration strategy can work. For the team it reduces reliance on external suppliers and opens new commercial and technical possibilities. For Ford it re-establishes a presence in the highest level of motorsport at a moment when electrification and sustainability are central to the regulations.
The story also highlights the human side of a brutal sport. Drivers who once competed fiercely can still share genuine respect years later. Ricciardo’s decision to reach out after the Sepang win shows that the bonds formed under pressure often outlast the competition itself.
Looking ahead, the performance of Red Bull Ford Powertrains will shape the competitive landscape for years. If the early form continues, Verstappen will remain a title contender well into the next regulatory cycle. Other teams will study the project closely. Engine supply questions may eventually arise, though Red Bull has indicated it is not ready to expand beyond its own cars and sister team in the near term.
For fans, the narrative is compelling: a former teammate celebrating a historic first, a new manufacturer succeeding ahead of schedule, and a driver still writing chapters that redefine what is possible in Formula 1.
A FULL-CIRCLE MOMENT THAT FEELS EARNED
The coincidence of venue adds a neat narrative touch. The same track that hosted Ricciardo and Verstappen’s 1-2 a decade earlier hosted Verstappen’s first win with the new Red Bull Ford power unit. History does not always loop so cleanly, but when it does the sport feels richer for it.
Ricciardo’s message of congratulations closes one circle while opening another. The young driver he once raced against has become a dominant force and the face of a major technical project. The Australian, now watching from a different vantage point, can appreciate the achievement without the old competitive edge clouding the view.
In a sport that moves relentlessly forward, these moments of recognition matter. They remind everyone that greatness is often recognized first by those who once stood closest to it on the track. Max Verstappen is still making history. Daniel Ricciardo, who helped shape some of the early chapters, is happy to see the story continue.
