Daniel Ricciardo left McLaren after the 2022 season after having an incredibly difficult year in their new car. Daniel couldn’t manage to get a proper run in while his teammate beat him in every race. This created pressure on Ricciardo and he decided to leave.
McLaren was uncompetitive this season in the first half but recent trends have gotten it dangerously close for competition, with them securing a double podium and Oscar Piastri’s first in Japanese GP 2023. As such, a surprising statement came from Ricciardo about his decision to leave the ‘Papaya’ outfit ahead of the 2023 season in favor of being a Red Bull reserve driver.
Daniel Ricciardo on his switch from McLaren to Red Bull
Unsurprisingly for the whole paddock, Daniel Ricciardo returned home to his earlier outfit at Red Bull Racing, becoming their reserve driver and later on as an AlphaTauri driver following the midseason sacking of rookie Nyck De Vries.
Daniel was being interviewed by Goodwood when he talked about his McLaren tale. “It’s never the way you want to end something,” Ricciardo said. “Obviously, the results weren’t there.
“I’m a pretty easy-going guy, I got on with the team, and I didn’t fall out with anyone in the team, but it’s all performance-based and, let’s say, the business side of it didn’t work out.
“At the time, it was a bit of a harsh reality getting fired, but by the end of the season, when I got home for Christmas, I was like, ‘okay, it probably doesn’t help my reputation’, but at that point, I didn’t care anymore. It was a blessing in disguise.”
Daniel echoed Christian Horner’s words when he suggested that he has lost his techniques and a bit of confidence during his McLaren stint.
Update on Daniel Ricciardo’s return
Daniel Ricciardo was being rumored to return in the Qatar GP but team boss Christian Horner has shut down this news, explaining the critical condition of his AlphaTauri driver. Christian has said that Daniel will be better off resuming racing in Austin and he doesn’t need to risk his performance or another injury on a bumpy track.
Daniel Ricciardo has a seat confirmed in AlphaTauri for 2024 and is currently being replaced by Liam Lawson owing to the metacarpal injury in his hand. Daniel has been injured ever since the Austrian GP and has been going through rehabilitation and simulator tests to get back into action.
What do you think about Daniel Ricciardo’s career decisions and do you think he will ever get a chance at a Red Bull seat again in the future? Tell us your opinions on this in the comments.
