The Saudi Arabian Grand Prix finished in an enticing fashion. Max Verstappen won his first race in 2022, after a disappointing start in Bahrain, beating Charles Leclerc in a stunning battle. In the meantime, Verstappen’s former teammate, Daniel Ricciardo’s start to the season, has been nothing short of disappointing. He finished 14th in Bahrain, followed by a DNF after drivetrain issues with his car.

The former Red Bull driver had an up and down season in 2021. Eventually, he finished behind a young and determined teammate, Lando Norris. The Australian will have flashbacks about his battles with another young teammate in Max Verstappen a few years back. Red Bull boss, Christian Horner, gave his thoughts on the 32-year-old. He feels Ricciardo committed a mistake when he left Red Bull after 2018.

Christian Horner questions Ricciardo’s timing of leaving Red Bull

Red Bull announced Daniel Ricciardo back in 2014 after a successful spell with Toro Rosso. The Australian had a solid start to his Red Bull career. As Mark Webber’s replacement, he had big shoes to fill. But after proving himself that season by winning three races, including the memorable Canadian Grand Prix, everyone saw Ricciardo’s high potential.

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However, things took a turn when Horner brought the hungry Max Verstappen in 2016. The current McLaren driver felt he was no longer Red Bull’s first driver. Hence, he decided to leave in 2019. Speaking on Ricciardo’s exit, Horner admitted that Red Bull did not want him to leave, and, as a result, they provided lucrative offers for him to stay. He also questioned the timing of his departure.

The Briton said, “Daniel could see Max in the ascendancy and he didn’t want to become the second driver. His timing was spectacularly bad because obviously, he had doubts about the Honda engine and then [Honda] went on to prove there it was a competitive power unit and a race-winning package.’’

Horner feels sorry for Daniel Ricciardo

Christian Horner revealed his admiration for Ricciardo but feels he has struggled ever since he left Red Bull. He conveyed, “Daniel is a great driver and we were sad when he decided to leave the team here. And, you know it’s unfortunately not worked out for him the way he would have liked.”

His move to Renault did not materialize well. Subsequently, his stay with Renault was short-lived as he left for McLaren, who are showing signs of improvement after some tough seasons. Even though Ricciardo won the Monza GP last year, he finished behind his teammate, Lando Norris, in the drivers’ standings.

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The Australian’s career has been full of challenges. However, he is still determined as ever and will hope to revive his career with McLaren, especially with his home Grand Prix around the corner.