Daniel Ricciardo Is Ditching Red Bull Racing - For Renault

In a shock move, F1’s smiliest character has decided to leave Red Bull at the end of the 2018 season to join the mid-table Renault team
Daniel Ricciardo Is Ditching Red Bull Racing - For Renault

Daniel Ricciardo will leave the Red Bull F1 team at the end of the 2018 season – and join the factory Renault outfit.

The move comes just a few weeks after Red Bull team principal Christian Horner said a contract was close to being signed, and less than a year after the team gave Ricciardo’s young firebrand teammate Max Verstappen a massive new contract and made him the third-best-paid driver on the grid.

The seven-time race-winner since his promotion to the senior Red Bull team in 2014 had previously been linked with Mercedes and Ferrari, but the Mercedes door is now shut with both the team’s drivers agreeing new deals.

The Ferrari option was always unlikely because it would have put Ricciardo back alongside Sebastian Vettel, with whom he had a rocky relationship when the pair were at Red Bull together in the 2014 season.

Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull overtaking a slower Renault
Daniel Ricciardo's Red Bull overtaking a slower Renault

Ricciardo is regarded as one of the best drivers in the field. While most observers agree that he lacks the outright one-lap pace of Lewis Hamilton or perhaps even Vettel, his racecraft is superb and his ability to pull amazing overtaking manoeuvres is an attribute we’ve seen many times.

The Renault factory outfit currently sits fourth in the constructors’ championship, just one place – but a massive 141 points – behind Red Bull. Ricciardo said, via press release:

“It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far. But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge.

“I realise that there is a lot ahead in order to allow Renault to reach their target of competing at the highest level but I have been impressed by their progression in only two years, and I know that each time Renault has been in the sport they eventually won. I hope to be able to help them in this journey and contribute on and off track.”

Comments

Anonymous

This is like going from an R34 GTR to an R34 GTT

08/03/2018 - 12:26 |
50 | 2
CannedRex24

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

More like going from a Flying Car to a 2006 Renault Megane

08/03/2018 - 12:37 |
23 | 3
5:19.55

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

But with honda engines, red bull could become the r36 vtec swapped car of the grid

08/03/2018 - 13:13 |
5 | 1
The Real Fat Princess

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

What an analogy! 😀

08/03/2018 - 22:44 |
0 | 0
RodriguezRacer456 (Aventador SV) (Lambo Squad)

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Like trading a Challenger Hellcat for a Colt Challenger

08/06/2018 - 10:54 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Fernando Alonso part 2😂

08/03/2018 - 12:28 |
9 | 2
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

But without any championships

08/03/2018 - 12:40 |
20 | 1
675LT_ftw

I’d like to imagine the contract deal kinda went like this…

Christian Horner: “Do you want a seat next year Dan?”
Danny Ric: “Re-no mate… I’m good”…

08/03/2018 - 12:31 |
7 | 0
CannedRex24

From what I believe, i can’t blame Riccardo

Red Bull is favouring the younger more prospering Verstappan, over him. It’s obvious. Max got a massive pay raise (from what I’ve read) and Daniel has all right to feel like he’s becoming No. 2 to the team

It’s EXACTLY what Red Bull did to Mark Webber when they started to Favour Vettel over him

08/03/2018 - 12:36 |
33 | 0
The Quirky Richard

Why he wants to switch to a worst team?

08/03/2018 - 12:36 |
1 | 0

I think he left because RBR were preferring Verstappen to him. He’d do the same at Ferrari and both Merc seats are filled.

08/03/2018 - 12:46 |
2 | 0

In the current season, yes, Renault is worse. However they have shown massive progress since returning to the sport in 2016, and are looking better and better as the season progresses.

There is also the fact that RBR is switching to Honda power next year, which could go any way. Ricciardo probably doesn’t want to take that risk, and as CannedRex mentioned earlier, there is also the Verstappen factor.

08/03/2018 - 12:52 |
11 | 0
welshtoast

To be honest, I think it is the best choice for him.
Both of the Mercedes seats are filled, and he plays the second fiddle at both Ferrari and Red Bull which is why he left in the first place.

08/03/2018 - 12:41 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

This is like saying:
Screw America I’m moving to Alaska
Or this seat sucks, next time I’m buying a skoda

08/03/2018 - 12:56 |
0 | 3
5:19.55

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

With trump being the honda engine, it’s not that bad. I’d say Renault are like canada since it is a work team

08/03/2018 - 13:15 |
2 | 0
z-tunenismor34

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Alaska is America ..

08/03/2018 - 13:23 |
1 | 0
Anonymous

was it really a shock though, you are dumb if you thought he was going to let his career die with Honda like Alonso’s

08/03/2018 - 13:33 |
0 | 2
Anonymous

This can go two ways. Either he does a Hamilton to Mercedes or Alonso to McLaren. Staying at RBR would only make him Webber v2

08/03/2018 - 13:41 |
20 | 0
Ian.L

Danny Ric is a risk-taker, so I guess a 50/50 chance isn’t really that scary to him. I’ll miss the Ricciardo-Verstappen ‘bromance’, but I’d like to see the spark between the Hulk and Danny Ric as well.
Just wondering how’s Danny Ric’s Valkyrie order coming together now…

08/03/2018 - 13:58 |
1 | 0
FLixy Madfox

In reply to by Ian.L

Trust me… The bromance between Ric and the Hulk is even stronger

08/04/2018 - 02:52 |
0 | 0

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