Max Verstappen returns to the Azerbaijan Grand Prix on Sunday - five years since he and former team-mate Daniel Ricciardo took tensions to a new level.
Despite winning in Azerbaijan in 2022, Verstappen doesn't have fond memories of the 2018 race when he and Ricciardo went head-to-head - and crashed in spectacular fashion. The duo were running at fourth and fifth place at the time of the incident as they went wheel-to-wheel before colliding.
It felt as though the crash was coming, however. They previously banged wheels twice in a ferocious battle before coming together on lap 40 and going out of the race. Verstappen tried to overtake Ricciardo but the Aussie connected with his teammates' car as they both went out.
At the time, Red Bull chief Christian Horner was furious. He said: "We allow them to race, we allow them to go wheel-to-wheel. We discussed in the pre-race meetings about giving each other space and this was the culmination of two guys taking things into their own hands which shouldn't have happened.
"They are both in the doghouse, you can see that in their body language and they will be in the factory to apologise to all the staff prior to the Barcelona race."
Verstappen has already come in for some criticism at the 2023 Azerbaijan Grand Prix after disagreeing with George Russell in a foul-mouthed spat. The pair made contact on the opening lap of the sprint as Verstappen was left with huge hole in its left sidepod after Russell's Mercedes hit him.
"I had no grip," Russell said to Verstappen. The Dutchman replied: "We all have no grip, we all need to leave a little bit of space. I'd expect next time the same you know!", before calling Russell a "d*******"
Speaking to Sky Sports, Verstappen also said: "I respect all the drivers a lot. It's a bit of common sense what you do on the first lap. You just have to picture yourself. They are off the pace and to risk that much on lap one, I think it's not very rewarding anyway because I would get him anyway within a few laps.
"There is potential to damage your car as well, not only my car. Of course, I had a hole in my sidepod, but he could also get a puncture and then his race is over as well. I thought I was fair in Turn Two. I gave him enough space. I think he locked up. He tells me 'I had cold tyres'. Well we all have cold tyres, that's not an excuse.
"I don't like it when somebody has that kind of reaction: 'I didn't do anything wrong' and just walks off. It is what it is."
