One mistake doomed Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career
Daniel Ricciardo's F1 career could've looked far different if he had made one different call six years ago.
Daniel Ricciardo and Max Verstappen (via racefans.net)
Daniel Ricciardo‘s Formula 1 career is officially over. The Australian driver has been sacked by RB in favor of Liam Lawson for the last six races of the 2024 season. However, Ricciardo, a proven race-winner in F1 could’ve avoided such a fate had he not made one mistake six years ago.
The Australian driver has been a part of the Red Bull family for over a decade. Daniel Ricciardo made his F1 debut with HRT in 2011 before progressing to Toro Rosso the following season. In 2014, Red Bull promoted Ricciardo to race alongside four-time world champion Sebastian Vettel. From the get-go, the Honey Badger managed to outperform Vettel that year.
Ricciardo became the lead driver for Red Bull after Sebastian Vettel’s switch to Ferrari. However, Max Verstappen managed to create an equal footing within the team after being promoted in 2016. Daniel Ricciardo left Milton Keynes at the end of 2018 for two seasons with Renault before moving to McLaren.
Ultimately, the Honey Badger lost his mojo during his time after leaving Red Bull and agreed to leave McLaren one year earlier than his contract dictated. Now, as Ricciardo’s second chance in F1 with RB ends, he might regret the first which fell long ago.
Leaving Red Bull was Daniel Ricciardo’s biggest mistake
Daniel Ricciardo left Red Bull in 2018 as he saw the team shifting its focus around Max Verstappen. The 34-year-old did not want to see himself forced to play second fiddle to Verstappen and made his bet on Renault.
Unfortunately, Ricciardo soon understood that Renault was not the team he thought it was. So much so, that the Australian driver announced his move to McLaren for 2021 even before the first race of 2020. Fans are aware of how the Honey Badger struggled to find his form in McLaren and seemed to be just a shadow of himself.
If the Australian driver had stayed on at Red Bull he would’ve still had equal resources to Verstappen. Ricciardo would’ve managed to prove himself on-track as the lead driver for Milton Keynes. Moreover, he had the support of team boss Christian Horner who had always rated him highly. Even if the 34-year-old lagged behind a little to his teammate, he would’ve done enough to find himself at a team like Mercedes or Ferrari.
However, Daniel Ricciardo never seemed comfortable after he left Red Bull. The 34-year-old failed to ever bounce back to his ‘prime’ years at Milton Keynes. The 2021 Italian GP victory was thought to be his turning point but sadly, things did not change for the Australian.
Ricciardo has achieved a lot in Formula 1 over the years, more than most could even dream of. Yet, the Honey Badger would be leaving the sport with a heavy heart, wondering if one decision led to his downfall.
Armaan Agarwal
(2018 Articles Published)