Daniel Ricciardo seems set to stay away from Formula 1 this time after losing his seat with Visa Cash App RB in 2024.
The Aussie had been in the running to replace Sergio Perez at Red Bull but failed to perform to the standard required.
Instead, Liam Lawson took over from him at RB following the Singapore Grand Prix and delivered some good results.
It was the Kiwi who managed to convince Red Bull that he was the right choice to partner Max Verstappen and will do so after being confirmed for the 2025 season.
Christian Horner said Perez moving back to RB wasn’t an option considering his age and those who are waiting behind him.
An exception was made for Ricciardo as they were convinced that he might be a good option for them in the future, but going back to where he started his career didn’t quite pan out how they had hoped.
Daniel Ricciardo wasn’t convinced by Honda after Red Bull deal
Back in 2018, Ricciardo faced a difficult decision as the end of his contract with Red Bull neared – a team he had been backed by since 2008.
Unsatisfied with the direction of the team after signing an engine deal with Honda, he chose to move to Renault.
His career never recovered from that move, as he went to McLaren and then back to the junior RB team last year.
READ MORE: Nico Rosberg says Daniel Ricciardo suffered from the same issue as Seb Vettel when he lost his F1 seat
Talking to Netflix’s Drive to Survive cameras back in 2018 (Season one, Episode four), Ricciardo mentioned how he had little faith in Honda and that he wasn’t sure whether to stay at Red Bull.
“I’ve just thought about a lot of things this year and contract talks,” he said. “What am I going to do next? Red Bull is confident that next year is going to be great – but Honda, they haven’t yet proven themselves. I don’t know.”
Could Daniel Ricciardo have beaten Max Verstappen if he stayed at Red Bull?
The 35-year-old was teammates with Verstappen for two and a half years before leaving to join their French rivals.
In 2017, he scored 32 more points than the Dutchman and took five more podiums than him, proving that he could beat him.
His abilities have since faded, but if he had stayed for 2019 and beyond, he would’ve been waiting three more years for a car in title contention (2021).
READ MORE: ‘Sources close’ to Daniel Ricciardo share his F1 retirement decision after RB axe
Whether he could have competed for the Drivers’ Championship against Lewis Hamilton and Verstappen is another question.
Would he have kept his confidence if he didn’t leave the team, would he still be with them now? There are so many unanswered questions about his career.
It’s likely that as Verstappen grew in skillset, he would’ve struggled to keep up with that progression. He would’ve at least had a far better time staying with them if he had ignored the Renault approach.
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