Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen ventured out of central Baku, making the semi-desert of the Gobustan Reservation their racetrack for Thursday morning.
Covering 537 hectares, packed with treacherous rocky paths, mud volcanoes and barely navigable roads it was just crying out for some 4×4 action. The Lada Niva was the vehicle of choice and here’s what Daniel and Max had to say about their off-road experience.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen ventured out of central Baku, making the semi-desert of the Gobustan Reservation their racetrack
“It was a lot of fun,” Max laughed. “A lot of rocks! But it was a good day. I find it quite fascinating that so close to the sea you have this kind of landscape, it’s really beautiful.
“As for the driving, we had some competition from some locals with the same car. We got some fun drifting going, did a bit of filming with the cars and I have to say I enjoyed it. The local guys knew the terrain pretty well, but unfortunately for them, we were just a bit faster.”
No one likes team orders ??#AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/3eNn7QIuS3
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 26, 2018
With Max at the wheel, Daniel took on the role of navigator. “Fortunately, the Lada handled like an absolute gem,” he said. “Any time Max got into a slide I felt he could bring it back, so I had confidence, but there were definitely some ‘oh boy!’ moments. I’m actually glad I was with Max and not the local guys! They were kind of loose!”
We’ve got a race on! ? More action from our trip to Gobustan #AzerbaijanGP pic.twitter.com/Aq1XtN101W
— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) April 26, 2018
