In a shocking revelation Red Bull’s motorsport advisor Helmut Marko has claimed that Daniel Ricciardo’s downfall came when lost his “killer instinct” after leaving the team at the end of the 2018 season.
Marko’s statement comes amid confirmation of major changes within the Red Bull family, as sister team RB announced Ricciardo will be replaced by reserve driver Liam Lawson for the remainder of the 2024 F1 season.
His comments reflect a broader narrative about the Australian’s career trajectory, which has seen a notable decline since his initial success with the energy drinks manufacturer.
Daniel Ricciardo’s downfall came after his departure from Red Bull where he had established himself as a formidable competitor after joining the team in 2014, even outperforming multiple-time world champion Sebastian Vettel during their time together.
However, as Max Verstappen emerged as a dominant force within the Milton Keynes outfit after its partnership with Honda, Ricciardo faced increasing pressure and uncertainty regarding his status within the team.
Helmut Marko suggests this contributed to his decision to leave for Renault, where he hoped to find a more stable environment and equal footing alongside his teammates which the 85-year old believes marked the beginning of Daniel Ricciardo’s downfall.
“He had certain reservations about the Honda engine and apparently he listened more to the sweet talk of Renault and Cyril Abiteboul,” Marko told Motorsport-Total.
“Financially, there wasn’t much difference between what Renault offered him and what we offered. I also told him: ‘Shoeys will be hard for you’. I don’t think we’ve seen Renault on the podium a lot.
“He came to us, beating Vettel with three-to-zero victories in 2014 and after that, Daniil Kvyat was faster than him at times, but over the season he also had him under control.
“And then Max came and he got stronger and stronger, so that was certainly one of the reasons for his decision to choose Renault over us.”
However, the 35-year old failed to secure a competitive car during his stints at Renault and McLaren and while he did achieve a remarkable victory at the 2021 Italian Grand Prix in Monza, it was under unique circumstances that did not reflect consistent performance.
“I think the decision to leave Red Bull Racing was the turning point in his career,” he divulged. “Then he didn’t have a winning car at either Renault or McLaren.
“He did win at Monza, but those were special circumstances. I don’t know what exactly happened, because if we knew, we would have helped him.
“But the speed and, above all, this late braking, and then he goes left or right… in these last few years he tried but it was no longer there, the killer instinct was gone.”
Marko said Ricciardo was briefed about what would happen and felt his fastest lap was a fitting send-off, despite dissatisfaction among fans over how his exit was handled and revealed at the Singapore weekend ahead of the official announcement on Thursday.
“The timing was related to a variety of factors and obligations,” he explained. “He was informed, and the worthy farewell performance was, I think, the fastest lap.
“That still showed what potential he has, not continuously and not at the level that would have justified him coming to Red Bull Racing, but that was an impeccable performance.
“I think it was clearly communicated that he has to be significantly better than Yuki Tsunoda and he only managed that in a few races, so it was clear that this story of the prodigal son rejoining Red Bull Racing unfortunately didn’t work out.
“He said very well that he is at peace with himself, and he has come to terms with the situation and we will see what his plans for the future are.”
