Was Red Bull exit of Ricciardo a mistake? 'He had it in him'

Daniel Ricciardo decided to leave Red Bull Racing at the end of 2018 and make a switch to Renault. He left that team after only two years to join McLaren. According to Glenn Freeman, Ricciardo's decision to leave Red Bull was a misjudgment, he writes for The Race.

The Australian was part of the Austrian racing stable from 2014. In the spring of 2016, Max Verstappen joined the team and the pair formed a rock-solid duo. Partly due to the presence of Verstappen and the arrival of engine supplier Honda, Ricciardo thought enough was enough in 2018 and left.

"Ricciardo should have backed himself and taken on Verstappen at Red Bull," the journalist argues. "Yes, Verstappen is a far more complete driver now than he was in 2016-18, but there’s no reason to believe Ricciardo’s level would have stagnated if he’d stayed at Red Bull. He had it in him to go toe-to-toe with the man we now refer to as the world champion."

Disappointing season start for Ricciardo

In 2022, Ricciardo is not experiencing a happy season as yet. Where he finished in fourteenth position in Bahrain, he had to drop out early a week later. It ensures that he is still empty-handed. His teammate Lando Norris is currently on six points.