Video: Ricciardo and Verstappen compete in Dinghy race

It’s almost time for the Formula 1 season to get underway but before attention turns to Albert Park and the Australian Grand Prix, Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen got to enjoy a little bit of downtime, messing about in boats on Melbourne’s Yarra River.

With the Melbourne skyline and iconic Flinders Street Station providing the backdrop, the boys spent Wednesday morning at the Richmond Rowing Club in the company of professional dinghy racers Scott Jenke and Jeremy Newman. This isn’t the sort of genteel wind-powered dinghy racing many people will be familiar with but rather its outboard-powered fast-and-furious antipodean cousin, in which the ultra-maneuverable 3m aluminum skiffs, supplied by the Riverland Dinghy Club, can reach speeds of 90kph. This is high-speed racing in crash helmets – so naturally Daniel and Max were eager to get out on the water and give it a go.