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Verstappen says Le Mans with Ricciardo would require winning-level preparation

Max Verstappen said he could consider a Le Mans entry with Daniel Ricciardo if they could prepare to compete for victory. Verstappen said he currently lacks the time to dedicate to the project.

AI-assisted synthesis · Based on 6 independent reports from 7 outlets · Article text read from 1 of 6 reportsHow it's made

View timeline · 3 entries
7 outletsLatest reporting 2 min read
Coverage: Too few ratedL 0 · C 2 · R 0 · 5 unrated

What happened

Key facts

  • Max Verstappen said a Le Mans drive with Daniel Ricciardo could appeal if they had the preparation needed to challenge for victory (per players.bio, The Hindu, CNA).
  • Verstappen said he does not currently have the free time to dedicate to a Le Mans project (per players.bio).
  • Verstappen said a team would need strong preparation to compete with drivers who race the full season (per players.bio).
  • Verstappen told reporters at the Mexican Grand Prix on Thursday that Ricciardo was smart to choose him as a teammate (per players.bio).
  • Verstappen said that at altitude, teams normally use wings to compensate, but they would now run one wing (per players.bio).

The brief

Max Verstappen said he could be interested in racing at Le Mans with Daniel Ricciardo, but only if the project included enough preparation to give them a chance of winning. In comments to reporters at the Mexican Grand Prix on Thursday, Verstappen said he did not currently have the time to commit to that preparation.

The possibility followed remarks Ricciardo made on Wednesday on Formula One's "Beyond The Grid" podcast. According to players.bio, Ricciardo said he could consider a one-off return to racing at the 24 Hours of Le Mans, rather than a comeback for a full season. He named Verstappen as a preferred teammate.

Verstappen welcomed Ricciardo's choice, saying, "He's a smart man to choose me in the car." He qualified his interest, however: he said he would want to approach the project properly, with preparation that could support a genuine attempt to win. He added that he lacked the free time to devote to it at present.

Verstappen said preparation would matter because they would be competing against drivers who race throughout the season. In his view, they would need to be ready enough to challenge those competitors. His comments therefore leave the idea conditional, rather than announcing a race entry or a return to competition.

Ricciardo and Verstappen previously raced together at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018. The account does not give details of a proposed team, a confirmed Le Mans appearance, or a schedule for deciding whether the pair would pursue the project. Verstappen also discussed the effect of altitude on car setup at the Mexican Grand Prix.

He said teams normally use wings to compensate for the altitude, while “now you basically just run one wing.” The remark appeared alongside his comments on Le Mans, but he did not connect the setup point to a decision about racing with Ricciardo.

Why it matters

  • A Le Mans pairing remains conditional: Verstappen said he currently lacks the free time needed to prepare for the project.
  • The performance standard Verstappen described is a chance to win, with preparation to compete against drivers who race the full season.
  • Ricciardo raised a one-off Le Mans return rather than a full-season comeback and named Verstappen as a preferred teammate.

What to watch next

  • Whether Verstappen says he has time to prepare for a Le Mans project with Ricciardo.
  • Whether Ricciardo pursues the one-off return to the 24 Hours of Le Mans he described.
  • Whether the two set out a project aimed at competing for victory.

How it's being covered

Coverage analysisShow details
7 source articles · 7 unique outlets · 6 distinct reports
Outlet political mix: Too few rated· 2 Center · 5 unrated
Where the outlets are based: Unknown 71% · Asia 29%
Outlet political mix
Too few rated
Left
Center
Right
0 outlets
2 outlets
0 outlets
The marker shows coverage balance: each unique outlet counts once. 5 unrated outlets are not included.
Geography
Where the outlets covering this story are based.
7 unique outletsDominant coverage: Asia
How we measure coverage

How outlets' accounts compare

Updat3 does not yet have enough full reports to compare how outlets framed this story.

Timeline

Developments from this story's sources, dated background we compiled and fact-checked, and our earlier coverage. Each row says which.
  1. The race has been part of the FIA World Endurance Championship since that series began in 2012, placing Le Mans within a season-long championship rather than making it a standalone event.
    Background · from our historical context
  2. The FIA and Automobile Club de l’Ouest introduced the Hypercar class in 2021 as the top category of the World Endurance Championship.
    Background · from our historical context
  3. RB announced Liam Lawson would replace Daniel Ricciardo for the remainder of the Formula One season.
    Background · compiled and fact-checked by Updat3

How we got here

Max Verstappen and Daniel Ricciardo were teammates at Red Bull Racing from 2016 through 2018; Ricciardo announced on August 3, 2018, that he would join Renault for the 2019 Formula One season. The race has been part of the FIA World Endurance Championship since that series began in 2012, placing Le Mans within a season-long championship rather than making it a standalone event.

The FIA and Automobile Club de l’Ouest introduced the Hypercar class in 2021 as the top category of the World Endurance Championship.

Original sources

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