“It’ll Certainly be the Giggling Team with Daniel Ricciardo and Lando Norris” – F1 Pundit

Sky Sports pundit Martin Brundle admitted that news of Daniel Ricciardo leaving Renault did not surprise him. Even though the Aussie is bailing out after just two years with the French outfit.

Back in 2018, the 30-year old jumped ship from Red Bull to Enstone, in a move that surprised many. Many knew that it was a massive risk, despite French manufacturer finishing ‘best of the rest’ in the previous year’s Championship.

Suffice to say, the gamble didn’t really pay off because Renault faced plenty of criticism for reliability. Since the team failed to capitalise on its progress, it allowed customer team McLaren to leapfrog them in the final standings.

Daniel Ricciardo also struggled to adapt to the underperforming Renault car. Brundle even observed that the the popular Aussie was fairly unrecognisable compared to the previous season.

“He hasn’t enjoyed it there [at Renault],” he commented on Sky Sports. “I barely remember seeing Daniel through last season. We used to see him all the time with that big flip-flop smile but for some reason, it just didn’t work for him there.”

“The car didn’t play on his speciality of last of the late-brakers. Maybe he fancies more the McLaren and the incoming Mercedes engine, maybe he’s concerned about where Renault will be in the future.”

What awaits Daniel Ricciardo at McLaren?

According to Brundle, the McLaren move is strange. However, it is possible that Ricciardo knew that his Renault move was not the right call, so he was not confident about his future with the side.

Last year, McLaren continued its steady recovery from its nightmare Honda days. Carlos Sainz and Lando Norris dominated the midfield for much of the season and it culminated in a welcome podium. In light of that, Brundle believes that Ricciardo’s arrival will only add to the Woking-based outfit’s arsenal.

“Daniel brings more experience and obviously a lot more race wins to McLaren,” he said. “McLaren are probably thinking they’ve had a net gain depending on what they have to pay him. It’ll certainly be the giggling team with Daniel and Lando Norris!”