Four-time Formula 1 champion Sebastian Vettel has given a nod to his former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo in a throwback tribute to one of the Aussie star’s finest victories with Red Bull Racing.
The duo previously made up the stellar driver duo at Christian Horner’s F1 outfit during the 2014 season before Vettel moved on to Ferrari at the end of the campaign.
Vettel’s latest Instagram post has paid tribute once again to Ricciardo, as the F1 legend continues to catalogue his career highlights on the social media platform following his retirement from the sport.
The former Red Bull star announced his social media presence with a bang back in 2022 when he dropped a retirement video which shook the paddock, especially given his lack of posts up until that point.
Since retiring, the 37-year-old has documented the career highlights of both him and his former rivals, including Ricciardo’s first grand prix win in Canada in 2014.
Now, the German star has referenced the Aussie’s second career victory in a tribute to the chaotic Hungarian GP that same year.
Vettel slip-up made way for Ricciardo triumph
The fan-favourite racer put on a spectacular show for fans at the Hungaroring in 2014 delivering a comeback after starting from fourth on the grid prior to a hectic race.
After a crash from Marcus Ericsson on lap nine, the safety car was deployed for the first time during the 70-lap event before future Red Bull driver Perez also triggered a safety car after crashing on lap 23.
Vettel spun out similarly to Perez, and although he managed to save himself from a DNF, it meant he only finished seventh, a disappointing result given he lined up P2 in Hungary that year.
After the German racer got unlucky with the safety car debacle, the door was left wide open for team-mate Ricciardo to bring home championship points for Red Bull, and he did just that.
Ricciardo, just 25 years old at the time, pulled a trademark overtake on the Mercedes of Lewis Hamilton before also taking the lead back from Fernando Alonso at Turn 1 on lap 68, stealing the victory and claiming the second grand prix win of his career.
Ricciardo went on to secure six more race wins in the sport before being dropped from the Red Bull family in 2024, but his presence remains strong in the sport and is still widely regarded as one of the most popular drivers to come from F1 among his former rivals and fans alike.
Vettel reminisced on Ricciardo’s Hungarian GP triumph via his personal Instagram page earlier this week, sharing a series of throwback black and white images from race day in 2014.
His caption read: “It wasn’t a great race. I spun, which was my mistake, and before that, I was unlucky with the safety car in the first stint.
“The timing meant the first four cars lost positions to those running behind. Unfortunately, we were also in the wrong mode for the restart and I lost two positions. It’s good for Daniel that he won today, I’m happy for him.”
