Ricciardo has no problem with Magnussen

Daniel Ricciardo insists he has no issues with the aggressive driving of F1 rival Kevin Magnussen.

Haas driver Magnussen has been regularly criticised by his rivals, with Nico Hulkenberg admitting to Denmark’s BT newspaper that he does not get along with the Dane.

"Ah, my good friend Kevin. How is he? How are his balls?" Hulkenberg said.

That reference dates back to a 2017 clash, where after a confrontation Magnussen told his German rival to "suck my balls".

"It was all said in a moment of excitement. But in general, you can say that Kevin and I just don’t really like each other," Hulkenberg said.

Hulkenberg’s new teammate at Renault, however, does not share that opinion of Magnussen.

"Once in a while he crosses the line, but normally I have no problems with Kevin," Ricciardo said.

"He definitely goes to the edge, but if I had to choose Kevin or a ’soft’ driver who is easy to pass, then Kevin is what you want. Kevin is cool," he added.

However, Renault and Haas might be close in pace this year, meaning Ricciardo and Magnussen will have plenty of on-track moments.

"Maybe my opinion about his driving will change," the Australian laughed. "No, honestly it’s good to have some tough guys in formula one. We are both raw racers, so it will be fun."