Daniel Ricciardo says life alongside Max Verstappen at Red Bull was sometimes a difficult affair, with moments that made him feel like he was playing second fiddle to the Dutchman.
Ricciardo and Verstappen were teammates for three years at the Milton Keynes-based outfit, a period during which the two drivers generally got on well, although the relationship yielded a few inevitable flash points out on the track, such as Baku in 2018.
But Ricciardo suggests that there were instances when he felt that Red Bull was perhaps favouring Verstappen who became Grand Prix racing's youngest ever winner on his debut with the team in Barcelona in 2016.
"I was aware of certain things, but I didn't pay much attention to them because I've never been the person with a negative mindset." Ricciardo told Motorsport.com.
"You can always point to someone who gives you negative energy or you can think about everything too much and make it too difficult. I just had to focus on driving, that's all."
Ricciardo remembers the Mexican Grand Prix in 2018 as a memorable weekend for the pair, with the Aussie stealing Verstappen's thunder in qualifying by just 0.026s only for the Dutchman to return the favour the following day when Ricciardo's clutch failed.
"I knew Max would be the youngest polesitter ever if he caught the pole that weekend," recalled Ricciardo. "That would be a record for him, a record for Red Bull.
"Of course, that's good for the brand, for the team, for the advertising and that generates revenue.
"I understand that and that's why I decided not to get off my record. I know this is a sport, but at the same time it's also a hard business. I was just really happy with myself."
But looking back on that eventful weekend, the current McLaren driver remembers the blend of extreme joy and deep frustration.
"A year earlier in Mexico, Max was almost a second faster in qualifying," continued Ricciardo. "It was a really crazy weekend.
"And in 2018, he was the fastest every session, every session. Until Q3, then I was at the top out of nowhere.
"So I was proud of that, I still am. And Max, of course, drove very, very well. It confirmed the confidence I had in myself.
"But the next day was tough. From one day to the next, from mad joy to fierce disappointment. It's hard to deal with that. I'm passionate, I'm emotional sometimes. It's hard to manage that disappointment."
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