Ricciardo: 'I was worried about the culture and my role within Red Bull'.

In an interview with Optus CMO, Mel Hopkins, Daniel Ricciardo expressed why he felt it was the best decision to leave Red Bull Racing. Despite the failed adventure at Renault, Ricciardo still sees it as a good move.

In 2018, Ricciardo surprised many people with his decision to leave Red Bull Racing. The team had contractually put everything he wanted on the table, yet he still decided to leave for Renault. Although that adventure only lasted two years before Ricciardo struck a deal in 2020 to drive at McLaren from 2021, Ricciardo still stands by that choice.

Red Bull was at a turning point at the time and was busy making Max Verstappen the youngest world champion. That culture change within Red Bull, however, did not go down well with Ricciardo. ''Culture within a company is important. The culture determines your happiness and how happy you are. There were some small reasons why I left Red Bull and thought that was the best choice at the time,'' Ricciardo says.

''I was concerned about the culture within Red Bull, but also what my role would be within that culture. I felt like I would be more frustrated, probably more complacent because everything is a bit too easy. That definitely plays an important role,'' the Australian concludes.