What Happened to Daniel Ricciardo?

Daniel Ricciardo was considered Sebastian Vettel’s successor at Red Bull. Once considered championship-winning material, Ricciardo followed all the steps that Vettel did. From signing with Toro Rosso, doing well with them, and then moving to Red Bull and becoming the No.1 driver. The Honey Badger beat his 4X world-champion teammate in his first season with the team. Hopes were high for the Australian, with a bright future in sight. However, the story had its own twists and turns.

After Sebastian Vettel moved to Ferrari in 2015, Daniel Ricciardo was expected to lead the Red Bull to glory. However, the Australian was not able to capitalize on the opportunity. Once Max Verstappen moved to Red Bull in 2016 after Daniil Kvyat was demoted to Toro Rosso, it was all about Super Max, and Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career took a hit. Max Verstappen has since then proven Christian Horner and Helmut Marko right by winning 2 championships already at the age of 25.

What happened to Daniel Ricciardo at Renault and why was he dropped by McLaren?

After being overshadowed by Max Verstappen’s talent and aggression at Red Bull, the Honey Badger decided to move ships to Renault as their number 1 driver alongside Nico Hulkenberg. Nonetheless, his 2-year sprint at the works team did not yield much as he finished P9 and P5 in driver’s standings. In an attempt to save his sinking career, the Australian again decided to move, and this time around signed for McLaren once Carlos Sainz moved to Ferrari.

The same story was repeated, albeit in a worse way. Ricciardo’s stint at McLaren was the worst in his career, with the only highlight being the race win at Monza in 2021. The bromance which was promised alongside Lando Norris never materialized and there was invariably one thing or another between the two.

The performances were also nothing to ride home about as the Australian was repeatedly beaten by his younger, less experienced teammate, Norris. Lando finished ahead of Daniel in the driver’s championship during both of his seasons with the team. After an underwhelming 2022, where Ricciardo only scored 37 points, McLaren and the Honey Badger decided to part ways 1 year before the end of his contract.

According to sportingnews.com, Daniel Ricciardo told In the fast lane podcast, “We all have our bad races, but to have the amount that I did, and the level that it was at times, like a second a lap off the pace, I’d scratch my head. I think already last year, during the summer break, it occurred to me that I was driving very consciously. It wasn’t natural anymore. I was one step behind. That was where I was like, ‘I think we’re trying to do too much.”

Who’s going to be driving at McLaren after Daniel Ricciardo’s departure?

Oscar Piastri signed for McLaren after his fellow Australian F1 driver’s departure was confirmed. McLaren and Alpine had a tussle over signing Piastri, where Alpine prematurely announced the Australian for the team without a contract in place. Nevertheless, Oscar Piastri is already performing well compared to Daniel Ricciardo and looks on par with Lando Norris’ pace. The Briton only had praise for his new teammate as he indicated that Piastri is already pushing him to do better.

According to Motorsport.com, Lando Norris said, “He’s done a very good job. I think he’s understood the car well, it’s obviously not an easy car to drive. For sure, I think he did a very good job in Saudi. He got into Q3, the only Q3 this year so far. So, he’s keeping me on my toes. We kind of want the same anything in general and I think that’s a good thing. So, from both sides, the off-track and the on-track, it’s a good start and he’s keeping me on my toes.”

What is Daniel Ricciardo’s role at Red Bull and did he make an appearance at the Australian GP?

After the beating taken at McLaren, Red Bull welcomed their once-prodigy back to where he belonged. The Honey Badger was signed as the third driver and his duties include the simulator testing and the PR events. Daniel Ricciardo’s wonderful smile is back and looks like the Australian is enjoying his time off a permanent driver’s seat.

According to Motorsport.com, Ricciardo said, “This year is a chance for me just to take a bit more of a light-hearted approach on things and ease off, so I think if I went into something that was going to put a lot of pressure on me, I’m not sure I would actually enjoy it.”

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The Australian has already appeared in Multiple Red Bull videos and also made an appearance at the Australian GP. Although he was not there to replace either Sergio Perez or Max Verstappen. Ricciardo appeared at his home GP purely because of his large homebound fan following. Red Bull even shot a promotional video for the Australian GP featuring Daniel Ricciardo driving a Red Bull F1 car across Australia.

Is there any chance for Daniel Ricciardo to race in F1 again?

Daniel Ricciardo’s role at Red Bull is not that of a reserve driver and has already explained his will about not racing this year. The 33-year-old has taken an Alonso-esque approach and has made it clear that he wants to make a comeback in 2024. However, after the shambolic performance at McLaren, many believed that his F1 career was finished.

Nevertheless, with Sergio Perez taking the fight for the championship to Max Verstappen, things might go southward for the Mexican, raising an opportunity for the Honey Badger. According to ESPN.in, a seat at Ferrari or Mercedes looks unlikely with McLaren and Alpine refraining from signing their former driver. Moves to AlphaTauri and Willaims might not be on Ricciardo’s agenda. However, nothing can be said surely as the driver’s market can change drastically with only 1 driver’s move needed to change the dynamic.

Audi would definitely be on Daniel Ricciardo’s mind as he will try to sign with the newly entered team in the sport. Audi would also be looking for an established driver in their lineup as something to boast about. This is somewhat of a long shot as the Honey Badger would be required to have some sort of intermediate experience before arriving at Audi.

Watch this story: Daniel Ricciardo’s Best Moments in F1

Whatever the case may be, Daniel Ricciardo was one of the generational talents and still might be if someone gives him a chance to prove it. What do you think of Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 career? Will Daniel Ricciardo ever race in F1 again?