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Mark Webber: Daniel Ricciardo “could be regretting” Renault move

Mark Webber: Daniel Ricciardo “could be regretting” Renault move

25-09-2019 08:39
2

Bevan Youl

Former Formula 1 driver Mark Webber believes that Daniel Ricciardo “could be regretting” his switch from Red Bull to Renault with the French team struggling this year for consistent performance.

Ricciardo had been at Red Bull since he was promoted from Toro Rosso in 2014 but opted to leave for Renault for the 2019 and 2020 seasons.
 
The works team had finished a strong P4 in the constructors championship last year with drivers Nico Hulkenberg and Carlos Sainz, failing to match the same results this year though sitting fifth behind McLaren.
 
The past few races have been more positive for the team and the Aussie with their fourth and fifth place finish in Monza, but seven-time race winner had a Singapore GP to forget after being disqualified from qualifying after claiming P8 and then encountering a puncture during the race.

“He was at Red Bull, I wish he stayed there because it is a better package,” Webber said to Fox Sports’ The Back Page.

“Obviously there were some financial terms but Red Bull weren’t far off his [contract] numbers anyway.

“He could be regretting that two-year phase now, but he’s gotta get back out of [regret] now.

“Young guys come in and the landscape changes really fast in two years. You think, ‘yeah, I’m cool, I’ve got a bit of time’. Next minute, people come along.

“Touch wood, he can get out of it.”

With Esteban Ocon replacing Hulkenberg in 2020 to partner Ricciardo for Renault will we see another young driver out-perform an experienced like Charles Leclerc has done at Ferrari with Sebastian Vettel?