Ricciardo denies he’s leaving Red Bull because of Verstappen

2018 Belgian Grand Prix

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Daniel Ricciardo says there were many factors behind his decision to leave Red Bull but Max Verstappen’s presence in the team wasn’t one of them.

Red Bull team principal Christian Horner has suggested Ricciardo made his decision because Ricciardo feared playing a “support role” to Verstappen. However Ricciardo said he did not have a feeling the team was being built around his younger team mate.

“I think externally around media and maybe some fans’ perspective as well that might be seen as the case,” he said.

“But honestly, internally – yeah in Baku and that we had an incident and a couple of on-track things, more around ourselves – but as far as equality went within the team, probably from the outside sometimes people thought that, but honestly hand on heart there was never any concern with that or any sign of that.”

Ricciardo’s change of teams means he will continue to use Renault power instead of joining Red Bull in their switch to Honda power. However he said this wasn’t the sole reason for his decision.

“There are a lot of unknowns with everything. Obviously even the move where I am going to be next year. There is still a certain amount of risk or unknowns. Nothing was really that clear cut.

“Sure, Honda still really need to prove themselves at the front. But honestly there wasn’t really one key factor other than really myself and wanting to have a change of scenery I guess. That was probably the biggest, overpowering thing but it wasn’t necessarily the engine deal or this or that or the financials or whatever.

“It’s been five years with Red Bull Racing, or will be at the end of this year, ten years with the company and obviously it’s been amazing and great but it just felt like now is the time to take on something new. So that’s pretty much how my decision came.”

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Ricciardo’s decision to leave Red Bull was revealed by RaceFans on the Friday following the Hungaroring test. He confirmed he only made the decision shortly beforehand.

“It was all tight with deadlines,” said Ricciardo. “It’s not something I knew for weeks or months.

Max Verstappen, Daniel Ricciardo, Red Bull, Bahrain, 2018
Is Ricciardo trying to ‘do a Lewis’ – or just get away from Max?
“Obviously Renault was part of my considerations for some time. They didn’t come out of nowhere at the last hour. But I was really torn, obviously, with what to do and that process took time.

“At the end, still on the race weekend in Budapest I wasn’t sure what I was going to be doing. I did the test on Tuesday and took some time to think about it over the next 48 hours and then came to my decision.

“It wasn’t easy and there were a lot of factors, variables that I had to try to weigh up. But I think as I said, in my mind the key thing for me personally was that I felt it was time to make a change.

“This year, particularly the first part of the year, up until Monaco for sure, it was an amazing start to the year for me. There were so many positives.

“So there was a lot of like good momentum and energy but I guess still at times I was feeling, for whatever reason, I felt personally a little bit frustrated – within myself, not necessarily with things that were happening in the team – and I was just trying to understand why and I guess when I weighed it up a change of setting, a new challenge was probably the answer I need.”

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Keith Collantine
Lifelong motor sport fan Keith set up RaceFans in 2005 - when it was originally called F1 Fanatic. Having previously worked as a motoring...

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28 comments on “Ricciardo denies he’s leaving Red Bull because of Verstappen”

  1. PressCo on thursday, Gasly, Ricciardo, Alonso and Sainz in that order

    When dutch reporter Jack Plooij asked Ricciardo that same question, ‘has leaving RB got anything to do with Verstappen?’, Ricciardo answers ‘I guess no is the correct answer’.
    Sainz, who’s at the end of the table and sitting next to Alonso, wishpers to Alonso in Spainsh (with the mic open) ‘what a big lyer’…. Alonso laughed. Ofcourse Sainz didn’t expect the mics to be open…

    1. To be honest, no surprise Sainz thinks that way. If we are to believe the stories about friction between both camps when he was at STR with Verstappen, it is likely he assumes a similar situation behind closed doors between Ricciardo and Verstappen

  2. As I’ve been asking the sceptics around here, where again is the favouritism towards Max? If even the very one individual most affected by that concept hasn’t seen it, then isn’t it time to believe that. But of course before I got to the comments I was already foingn

    1. Oops didn’t mean to send yet….but of course before I got to the comments I was going to post something like ‘Cut to comments such as what DR really must mean is…’….or…’from my armchair I have seen the races so I know Max is favoured’…etc etc. Sure enough the very first comment references DR is lying…🤦‍♂️

      1. @robbie, to be fair to the person who made that post, he is relaying what another driver (Sainz Jr) made of Ricciardo’s comments during the same press conference where Ricciardo disputed that allegation. It wasn’t the poster himself who made that accusation – he was repeating the accusation made by a driver who is still connected to Red Bull and a former team mate of Verstappen, which is a rather different situation.

        1. @anon I’m aware it was Sainz who allegedly said what he did, so he’s as guilty, and then go figure the very first post here was Matn pointing it out.

      2. @robbie
        Hey Robbie, you good mate?
        “where again is the favouritism towards Max?”

        On track maybe two come to mind- first is Spain 2016 for Max’s first win (I was there, great race really) where Dan was leading then a change in strategy handed Max his first win, talk is Marko made this call to make it happen. 2nd- Baku this year, yes they let them race but Dan was faster and the team should have let him through, Max would NEVER do this even is better for the team.

        To be fair in the former the team may have looked at the fastest race over a 2 or 3 stop and gave it to Dan, but were wrong. In the latter they do let them race.

        But honestly Dan was gone when Horner said “Max is in a position to build the team around himself” then not long after paid his younger driver a heap more than Daniel, then Marko saying he wants Max to be youngest ever champion. When these two talk like that time to run!

        This move from Dan may or may not work, but worth the shot.

        1. This has been done to death by now.. In short, it would be a gamble of ridiculous proportions to stack the cards for a rookie to win his first race at Spain. It also implies RBR hated RIC so much they wanted him to lose there. It is preposterous. The Mercs were gone, this was THE chance of a win. You don’t gamble with that.
          And as for Baku, I read the “RIC was faster” a lot handily ignoring the fact he lost his position not once but twice.
          Now RIC comes out saying hand on his heart they were treated as equals. It should put an end to this favoritism rumors really.. but that’s no fun, we’ll just continue I guess…

          With the risk of sounding as a RIC hater.. I don’t. I’d love to see more battles on track. Renault vs RBR would be great. I’d rate HUL and RIC higher than VER and GAS

          1. If you believe Daniel’s “hand on his heart” comment you have a few things to believe in life.

          2. “In short, it would be a gamble of ridiculous proportions to stack the cards for a rookie to win his first race at Spain”

            You don’t F1 then, off you go!

        2. @garns Yeah for sure all good now that we can put this favouritism stuff away ;) I don’t consider debatable circumstances in a race or two as proof of anything, especially when the driver in question confirms that. When Horner said what he did, it was when Max had gone to them to extend his contract. Of course he was going there saying something grandiose upon that great news for the team. But the point is DR could have done the same. Could have shown the same commitment and could have stamped his authority on the situation and re-signed and claimed his equal side of the garage too. And of course Max ended up making more…after he re-signed that is. Just because Max renewed his contract does not mean they take out a cheque book and just hand DR something. That would have taken for DR to re-sign and then the money would have followed. Wanting Max to be the youngest Champion? Why wouldn’t he? Doesn’t mean it will happen nor that he can just snap his fingers and provide the car for Max to do that. I’ve never denied they love Max and know they have gold in him. But according to DR, that didn’t mean they took anything away from him. As I said before, the decision wouldn’t have been so tough if the stuff that half the people insist on still believing was true.

          1. I mean it’s not like they’d done it before or anything.

        3. To be honest, both Spain 2016 and Baku 2018 where no races Verstappen received a preferential treatment.
          In 2016 it would have been a very stupid move by RBR cause the team actually favoured Dan in a couple races after Spain (Germany, Baky, Austria, Monaco) it was intil after the summerstop both driver where treated equaly.
          Spain was a mtter of a one or two stopper, both where very close…as Verstappen was faster than Ricciarod they put Ricciardo on the two stopper… like Vettel. Ricciardo lost that one cause he ruined it all fighting Vettel.

          Baku Ricciardo faster…. pfff, analyse the race please. Ricciardo was only faster over a period of about 20 laps when Hamilton was in front of Verstappen. A driver that is faster doesn’t get overtaken twice in one race.

    2. @robbie
      It is unclear to me if Ricciardo is leaving because he feels he wont be able to beat Verstappen or because he feels the team is gonna favor Max. My guess is its probably a bit of both but its 100% clear Verstappen is the reason he moves.
      I have never before seen Ricciardo as sour as he has been this season, hes clearly not comfortable in a team that is only interested in having him as a number two. The always smiling driver is gone.

      1. @rethla Yes I fully expect his own words to be ignored by some. If he seems sour to you perhaps it is because he is still lagging in pace or perhaps just because he has carried the weight of having to make a decision such as he now has. Perhaps it has been that the car is still only a third place car.

        1. @robbie
          “Wanting Max to be the youngest Champion? Why wouldn’t he?”

          I will say this for the record: I love Max and think he is awesome!! He will dominate F1 for a long time now.
          But I love Dan more, a lot more. But as soon as management (for lack of better words) backs Max Dan is done.

        2. @robbie
          Im not ignoring his words any more than you we just have different interpretations.

  3. “wanting to have a change of scenery” seems very plausible.
    I also believed that the move was ‘because of Verstappen’, but it didn’t gel. Ricciardo is too nice a bloke, seems to fit in everywhere, and both he a Verstappen seemed to have a great time off track (RB is the ideal environment for that).

    Now I’m glad he moves to Renault. Becuase a ‘change of scenery’ at Ferrari or even Mercedes isn’t one where he would fit in that well; there doesn’t seem as much ‘fun factor’ in those teams.
    Let’s hope Renault can get everything lined up to fight for wins (and maybe even championships) in a couple of years.

    1. Let’s hope Renault can get everything lined up to fight for wins

      @coldfly Maybe they’ll announce Piquet and Briatore rejoining them soon.

      Or the whole Brawn-Byrne-Todt-et al gang.

  4. Also while these guys love racing, they don’t mind a buck too.
    Daniel wont win a title in either team in the net two years, he knows that. So if reports are true (and we never know this) Red Bull pay him $12m and Renault pay him $20-25M. So he picks up an extra $16-26M in the next two years where he will probably finish 4th to 7th in either choice.

    He lives in Monaco and pays no income tax (they do pay a GST or VAT of 18%) but that’s not too bad hey?

    1. Ah so they were going to pay him more than Max. Interesting bit of favouritism there;)

    2. From what I heard, horner said he’d have offered him as much as to verstappen.

  5. It’s simple. The Honda engine will be awful again next year and Red Bull will drop into the midfield. Once their results go downhill I think Red Bulls long term future will be in doubt as well.

    I think moving to the ever improving WORKS Renault team could well prove to be a shrewd move.

  6. Hulkenberg might be a tougher teammate than Verstappen.

    I think Verstappen has a slight outright pace edge on Ricciardo, but Ricciardo has shown he’s more consistent.

    The reality is that RBR with have unreliable Honda engine next year.

    He’s going to 1 of 3 works teams.

    Ricciardo might have been loyal to RBR if they weren’t so dismissive of him.

    Horner and Marko have almost goaded him in public, telling everyone that Ricciardo has no other options.

    Horner and Marko really handled this poorly.

    Now they’re stuck with a young, immature driver line up for 2019.

    1. The reality is Renault may be no more reliable than Honda next year. Horner and Marko have not goaded DR when at the same time they offered him everything he had asked for. If they didn’t want him they simply would have told him they were looking elsewhere and would have given DR plenty of time to find another ride. Rather, they gave DR all the time he needed to make his decision. It was only then that the hired someone else.

    2. “I think Verstappen has a slight outright pace edge on Ricciardo, but Ricciardo has shown he’s more consistent.”

      That ‘slight’ is putting it mildly, Verstappen is very dominant, quali’s are no longer exciting 10-3, condering Verstappen missed two qualies makes it 10-1… Ricciardo won the Baku quali thanks to a tow with a difference of 0.084 sec, he got overtaken in lap 6.

      About Ricciardo being more consisitant… well he made a few mistakes less, but overall Ricciardo has been the better driver in just 3 races while both DNF-ed in 4 races, in wich both one due to shared fault.
      Ric the better racer in Aus, Chi, and Mon > 2 #1 podiums
      Ver the better racer in Spa, Can, Fra, Aus > 4 podiums 3, 3, 2, 1
      Over the last three races in wich both drivers DNF’ed GB, Ger, Hun Verstappen was leading in front of Dan
      Bahrain and Baku remain undecided.

      Ricciarod had two high peakes while Verstappen seems more consistant in performance with 4 podiums and another 3 races in font of Ricciardo.

      1. Ricciardo is consistent in the means he makes little to no mistakes, verstappen is inconsistent in the means he’s more often than not faster than ricciardo, however he makes a lot more mistakes, he can still correct that with time ofc.

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