Daniel Ricciardo was a top-tier driver in the Formula 1 paddock by July 2018, having spent a decade within the Red Bull family since his early junior single-seater career. Despite winning two grands prix during the first half of the 2018 season while Renault struggled to finish inside the top five, Ricciardo accepted a deal with the French manufacturer from Cyril Abiteboul and made a bold switch.
The Fallout of a Risky Career Move
The gamble failed to deliver results, as Ricciardo did not secure a single podium finish in 2019. Renault ultimately lost fourth place in the constructors’ championship to McLaren, prompting Ricciardo to sign with the Woking-based team for 2021 before the delayed 2020 campaign even began.
According to Motorsport.com, Ricciardo struggled significantly at McLaren—aside from a surprising victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix—leading to his departure before his contract ended and his replacement by fellow Australian Oscar Piastri for 2023. His career trajectory did not recover during a subsequent stint with his former AlphaTauri/RB team, which also ended prematurely due to underperformance.
During the same period, former teammate Max Verstappen continued to climb, securing four consecutive world titles with the Red Bull squad that Ricciardo had voluntarily exited.
Weighing Regrets and What-Ifs
Speaking on the Beyond The Grid podcast eight years after the move, Ricciardo addressed whether he regretted leaving Red Bull. He stated on Motorsport.com that he still struggles to answer directly, noting he cannot simply claim he would have become world champion by staying because that reality never happened. He acknowledged that Verstappen has proven to be one of the best drivers in history, adding that it would be unfair and disrespectful to dismiss Verstappen’s accomplishments by assuming victory over him.
Ricciardo explained that the choice stemmed partly from spending a decade within Red Bull and feeling a need for a fresh challenge. He admitted to feeling slightly comfortable and complacent, which fueled his desire to try something new, though he acknowledged it was a complex situation.
Ricciardo admitted that staying at Red Bull would have provided his best opportunity to become a world champion, noting his strong curiosity about how that alternative timeline would have unfolded. He acknowledged that Verstappen’s speed and decreasing error rate created an uncertain dynamic regarding whether he could have maintained his competitive edge.
Ricciardo concluded on Motorsport.com that the subsequent years proved to be winding and rough, marking a definitive turning point in his career. He confirmed that if given the chance to relive the moment, curiosity and the desire to know what might have happened would lead him to stay.
