Crimson Bull’s Double Provide Couldn’t Preserve Ricciardo: The Surprising 2019 Transfer to Renault

UNITED KINGDOM: Christian Horner, Crew Principal of Crimson Bull Racing, not too long ago revealed that the crew was ready to nearly double Daniel Ricciardo’s wage in a determined bid to forestall him from making the swap to Renault in 2019.

Ricciardo, a longstanding member of the Crimson Bull household, had been related to the crew from his junior years to changing into a distinguished driver for Toro Rosso and, later, Crimson Bull itself. His determination to maneuver to Renault, a crew that completed fourth within the 2018 standings, raised eyebrows all through the Formulation 1 group.

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Regardless of being a part of a formidable driver pairing alongside Max Verstappen, Ricciardo felt overshadowed by his youthful teammate’s rising prominence. This led to his contemplation of a brand new problem outdoors of Crimson Bull.

Talking on the “eff received with DRS” podcast, Horner disclosed that Crimson Bull was ready to match the $10 million contract they’d simply awarded Verstappen in a bid to retain Ricciardo. Nonetheless, the Australian driver was already entertaining gives from different groups, which in the end influenced his determination.

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Horner additional revealed a pivotal dialog with Crimson Bull’s proprietor, Dietrich Mateschitz, earlier than the Austrian Grand Prix, the place he implored Mateschitz to convey the crew’s need to maintain Ricciardo. Astonishingly, Mateschitz agreed to supply Ricciardo the identical wage as Verstappen, a lot to Horner’s shock.

Nonetheless, a twist occurred when Ricciardo, after a take a look at in Hungary, opted to vary his thoughts, wanting a one-year contract as a substitute. This surprising flip of occasions left Horner questioning Ricciardo’s intentions.

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In hindsight, Horner believes Ricciardo ultimately got here to remorse his determination. Throughout the pandemic yr, Ricciardo admitted that Horner was proper, acknowledging the misjudgement in his alternative to go away Crimson Bull for Renault.

The revelation sheds gentle on the complexities and uncertainties that permeate the world of Formulation 1, even for seasoned drivers like Ricciardo, who, ultimately, discovered himself in a brand new racing setting with Renault, the place he raced until 2020 earlier than leaving for McLaren in 2021.

The Aussie struggled to come back to phrases with the McLaren automotive in 2021 and 2022, barring a solitary win in Monza in an eventful 2021 season. McLaren introduced him out of his contract and changed him with rookie Oscar Piastri for the 2023 season.

Ricciardo discovered himself again to his roots throughout the mid-season break of 2023 when AlphaTauri introduced that he would accomplice Yuki Tsunoda for the remainder of the season, changing a below-par Nyck de Vries.

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