Ever since his arrival, Daniel Ricciardo was painted as the next big thing in Formula 1. The Aussie proved his worth during his time at Red Bull, winning 7 races. Despite having a great run, Ricciardo switched to Renault for a cash-rich deal. Later he signed a deal with McLaren which, as we all know, did not turn out as well as he would have thought. A former F1 executive has now slammed Ricciardo for prioritizing money over championships.

The Honey Badger took the world of F1 by storm when he signed a deal worth $35 million a year with Renault. While the deal was lucrative, the results were not. Ricciardo could only manage 2 podium finishes in an equal number of seasons for Renault. $96 million worth (According to CA Knowledge) Daniel Ricciardo then jumped ship to McLaren and could only manage a single win in 2 years. Mutually agreeing to terminate the contract prematurely, he earned a $14 million payout.

Speaking with GP Racing Magazine, former Red Bull executive Mark Gallagher said, “Why would you not take it? Because when you’re getting into your 30s and you realize that the World Championship prospect is diminishing, take the big money.”

“Not only did he manage to get that big offer and then deliver the podium result that he and Cyril had talked about, he then got lured to McLaren with another big paycheck,” Gallagher added. “And of course, again, why wouldn’t he take that? But it’s been a very different experience at McLaren.”

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Ricciardo will stay away from regular action for a year and serve Red Bull as a third driver. Lewis Hamilton, however, feels had he been Ricciardo’s agent, he would still be racing.

Lewis Hamilton believes Daniel Ricciardo is too good to be a third driver

Before Ricciardo signed with Red Bull, Mercedes were in a battle to get his signature as well. Ahead of the 2022 Italian GP, media asked Lewis Hamilton if he’d be glad to have Daniel join him at Mercedes as a third driver.

Lewis replied, “I think he’s far too talented and he’s earned the right to be amongst us racing. Of course, if he’s part of our team it’d be great, but a third [driver] role is not really – I think – what’s best for him. If I was managing him, he’d be racing.”

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Ricciardo was firm on his decision to take a year off from F1, gather his thoughts and realize his love for the sport once again. He vowed to come back in 2024.