80 replies to this topic

[Misk]

As we all know Ricciardo left of his own choice after the 2018 season for a “fresh and new challenge”, although I suspect the prospect of having a rising Verstappen as a team mate made that decision a lot easier.

 

Where do people think Ricciardo's head is at after Abu Dhabi? Whatever he says, he must have a fair bit of regret and "what if's?" watching a Red Bull driver win the title. At the same time though maybe he is glad he got out when he did, and saved himself the prospect of becoming Verstappen's Number 2 - although that hasn't worked out so well since he was beaten so soundly by Norris this year.

 

About 5 years ago now a lot of people had him down as a future WDC and that it would be a case of when not if. That's looking more and more unlikley now. Was it a mistake to walk away from a team that would have a chmpionship car within 3 seasons for a midfield drive?

[Myrvold]

Nothing?

 

The reason he left was partly due to how the team reacted after the Baku crash. He realized that he wouldn't be the priority in the team.

[PlayboyRacer]

Verstappen would have taken hold of their battle and consigned him to #2. It's just reality, Max has evolved since 2018 into a beast. Daniel was struggling to keep him in check back then.

Though with DR hanging around, Red Bull would today be WCC.

[Yamamoto]

I love Danny Ric but once the alien that is Max Verstappen turned up his chances of winning a championship rested on finding a different team and getting a bit lucky with a shake-up of the hierarchy. If he wanted to win more races Red Bull would have been a safer bet, as I'm sure he knew. Presumably he wanted something else, I hope he finds it.

[FrontWing]

I love Danny Ric but once the alien that is Max Verstappen turned up his chances of winning a championship rested on finding a different team and getting a bit lucky with a shake-up of the hierarchy. If he wanted to win more races Red Bull would have been a safer bet, as I'm sure he knew. Presumably he wanted something else, I hope he finds it.

he'd have got ****ed over right left and centre to allow max to win, not worth it at all.

[ARTGP]

Nothing at all. He was over it. He didn't want to be there anymore. That feeling won't have changed. 

Edited by ARTGP, 14 December 2021 - 23:10.

[Tenmantaylor]

If he'd stayed he'd be closer to Max than anyone else who's been there, but Max would have destroyed him this year.

But maybe Ricciardo could have taken more points away from Lewis and sealed the title fair and square for Max.

[Misk]

he'd have got ****ed over right left and centre to allow max to win, not worth it at all.

Would he have? Eventually he'd have slotted into a Number 2 roll if he hadn't been able to keep up during the season, but they are both Red Bull academy drivers, so the situtation wouldn't have been as clear cut as with Vettel and Webber, surley?

[Scaboo22]

I think Ricciardo is finally starting to accept that he'll never be WDC. Must sting but when you're the experienced one and you're getting beaten all season by young Lando Norris, the writing's on the wall. Very strong driver, David Coulthard type, capable of winning races, capable of putting it on pole sometimes but that's pretty much it. Can't win it on personality alone.

Max was already beating him in 2018, that gap would have only gotten bigger with time. If I were to guess I think he now regrets leaving RedBull, in his mind he might think he'd be able to take on Max, but deep down I'm sure he knows the truth. He didn't leave RBR because they were getting ready to favor Max, he left RBR because he wasn't top dog anymore and he wanted to roll the dice. Now he's in the exact same spot. Big team on the comeback but there's a younger faster driver next to him. And if McLaren are championship contenders, he'll end up having to support Lando.

Ironic.

[Scaboo22]

he'd have got ****ed over right left and centre to allow max to win, not worth it at all.

 

Or ... and try to stay with me here for a sec ... Max would have beaten him because he's clearly the faster more talented driver.

[Misk]

Now he's in the exact same spot. Big team on the comeback but there's a younger faster driver next to him. And if McLaren are championship contenders, he'll end up having to support Lando.

Ironic.

Even worse, as Norris is a driver from their academy, you can already tell who McLaren would prefer to win the title if they got into that position.

[P0inters]

I think Ricciardo is finally starting to accept that he'll never be WDC. Must sting but when you're the experienced one and you're getting beaten all season by young Lando Norris, the writing's on the wall. Very strong driver, David Coulthard type, capable of winning races, capable of putting it on pole sometimes but that's pretty much it. Can't win it on personality alone.

Max was already beating him in 2018, that gap would have only gotten bigger with time. If I were to guess I think he now regrets leaving RedBull, in his mind he might think he'd be able to take on Max, but deep down I'm sure he knows the truth. He didn't leave RBR because they were getting ready to favor Max, he left RBR because he wasn't top dog anymore and he wanted to roll the dice. Now he's in the exact same spot. Big team on the comeback but there's a younger faster driver next to him. And if McLaren are championship contenders, he'll end up having to support Lando.

Ironic.

He's a far, FAR better driver than Coulthard ever was. He's more than capable of winning a title if given the right machinery. He's not at the same level as an Alonso, Verstappen or Hamilton but I'd put him in a category with Button and Vettel. Elite drivers but not quite cream of the crop.

[earthling45]

he'd have got ****ed over right left and centre to allow max to win, not worth it at all.

 

I very much doubt that, Later in the season maybe if Max was far ahead in points and contending for the championship but it might well have been reversed, Daniel far ahead and thus Max having to help Daniel in the championship.

 

Daniel in my view is proof that Red Bull let's people race, in his first season he made meatloaf of Red Bull's star driver Sebastian Vettel.

[mclarensmps]

He's thinking: "Well they finally did it. Poor Perez", and move on. 

[ANF]

I guess he's thinking "That could have been me" when he watches Pérez hold Hamilton up.

[Anderis]

I think there's too much emphasis put on favouritism. The teams usually only start favouring a driver who's demonstrated to be clearly faster of the two and are willing to review the situation once the balance between the drivers changes. I can't see how any team would favour a slower driver over a faster driver, so basically you just need to do better than your team mate and then there's not much to worry about.

 

It's all about finding a balanace between being in a team strong enough to give you the biggest chance of having a winning car but also being in a team that has a team mate you can beat. Obviously Max proved too strong for Dan but Dan still could hope to land a lucky seat at some point like Button did in the past. Obviously he thought that maybe Verstappen is too much for him, but having beaten Vettel in the same car, he had a good reason to believe that apart from Hamilton and Verstappen, he could beat anyone else in the same car. Obviously that has proven more complicated with Norris now. But it would make sense for him to regret leaving Alpine, where he had Ocon under control. That's where the chance might have been if Alpine got it right for 2022. At Red Bull not so much. He's won races for them before and now he's won for McLaren too, so not getting a few more is not much to regret.

[ARTGP]

Daniel in my view is proof that Red Bull let's people race, in his first season he made meatloaf of Red Bull's star driver Sebastian Vettel.

 

 

We don't like to remember that because it doesn't suit a certain narrative....

Edited by ARTGP, 14 December 2021 - 23:34.

[mclarensmps]

We don't like to remember that because it doesn't suit a certain narrative....

 

Or maybe, just maybe Vettel had lost his magic, and nothing they could do was going to make him recover from it. He's certainly had a stellar career from that season onwards, hasn't he?

[Anderis]

Or maybe, just maybe Vettel had lost his magic, and nothing they could do was going to make him recover from it.

He had a pretty convincing 2015 season, beating Raikkonen with similar margins to Alonso the year before. He's certainly declined since then but it's not like he's been totally useless all the time since 2013.
 

[KavB]

I'm sure he regrets it deep down, particularly as his move to Renault was pointless in the end. He also just ended a poor season at McLaren getting beaten by a driver not as highly rated as Verstappen in a car which isn't as capable. 

 

If he really believes he is worthy of a world championship then I'm sure he has the self confidence to think he could beat Max in the same car. Even discounting Max for a second, I'm sure he thinks he could take the fight to Hamilton as long as he has a car which can compete. If he doesn't believe he could beat either driver in similar cars then there's nothing really for him to regret except for not being able to add some more wins to his CV.

[Paa]

From a business perspective he sold himself when his stock price was at an all time high, so his jump was perfectly timed.

On the other hand Red Bull was ready to match his salary offer by Renault and he probably could have achieved better results staying with the Bulls.

 

He probably would have needed to eat the humble pie many times as Verstappens' team mate and for sure he was not ready for that in 2018.

On the other hand, I'm pretty sure his self-confidence took a big hit this year next to Norris as well.

 

 

Looking at purely rationally it was probably a bad move. With emotions involved, only he knows.

[Dolph]

Danny has also gotten really paid well at Renault.

[Paa]

Danny has also gotten really paid well at Renault.

 

Red Bull offered him the same as Renault so it should not have been a factor.

 

edit: I mean financially. Renault offered him #1 status as well which he did not get from the Bulls.

Edited by Paa, 15 December 2021 - 00:31.

[YamahaV10]

Nothing?

 

The reason he left was partly due to how the team reacted after the Baku crash. He realized that he wouldn't be the priority in the team.

Horner thought he was joking when Riccardo told him that he was going to Renault.

 

Red Bull wanted to keep him and they would have both been the better for it.  He would have been the perfect partner to Max is a year like this. The #2 RB car would have been dialed in for the last 3 years.

Edited by YamahaV10, 15 December 2021 - 00:32.

[ARTGP]

Horner thought he was joking when Riccardo told him that he was going to Renault.

 

Red Bull wanted to keep him and they would have both been the better for it.  He would have been the perfect partner to Max is a year like this. The #2 RB car would have been dialed in for the last 3 years.

 

Partner? Daniel wanted his own show. He wanted a gig like Lewis. To be the center of attention and a teammate who didn't trouble him.  He had that at Renault. Hulkenberg was his patsy. Ocon was his patsy. He may have stepped into a minefield at Mclaren with Norris though....and that also opened the door for Alonso to become another active rival. In the book of how to win a WDC, making sure Alonso doesn't have a seat anywhere is probably a good strategy  .

Edited by ARTGP, 15 December 2021 - 00:38.

[RekF1]

He's wondering why he taught Max how to lunge.

[YamahaV10]

Partner? Daniel wanted his own show. He wanted a gig like Lewis. To be the center of attention and a teammate who didn't trouble him.  He had that at Renault. Hulkenberg was his patsy. Ocon was his patsy. He may have stepped into a minefield at Mclaren with Norris though....and that also opened the door for Alonso to become another active rival. In the book of how to win a WDC, making sure Alonso doesn't have a seat anywhere is probably a good strategy  .

Yeah. Riccardo was going for the glory. But for Red Bull, it would have been far far better for him to stay.

[Claymore25]

If Daniel Ricciardo stayed, he would have become Mark Webber to Max Verstappen.

[Myrvold]

Horner thought he was joking when Riccardo told him that he was going to Renault.

 

Red Bull wanted to keep him and they would have both been the better for it.  He would have been the perfect partner to Max is a year like this. The #2 RB car would have been dialed in for the last 3 years.

 

Ricciardo never wanted to be a #2. I do think if Red Bull had handled Baku better, it would've been a better chance for them to keep Ricciardo. However, Red Bull had their priorities, which are fine. They didn't align with Ricciardo's wishes, that's fine. They split.

[azza200]

he is actually thinking where and when shall i drink out of my shoe again for attention   

[gowebber]

I'd say he is thinking what a great team and environment it is at McLaren and that he can't wait for 2022 with the new cars after a good break at home in Oz.

[Dave Ware]

Before Ricciardo left RB, one of the higher ups, I forget if it was Marko or someone else, publicly declared that Max was the future of Red Bull.  

 

Which tells Ricciardo that he is not.  But they might let him hang around...

 

As far as what he's thinking now, I hope he will figure out why he failed to come to terms with the McLaren.  

[PlayboyRacer]

As far as what he's thinking now, I hope he will figure out why he failed to come to terms with the McLaren.

Exactly. He's got far bigger problems now. Next year is make or break, he can't afford another season like this one.

[Venom]

Not much I would think. I’d put his chances at having beating Max this season between slim and none. And deep down I think he knows that.

Personally I think Ricciardo’s biggest mistake was leaving Renault/Alpine. Easy to say with hindsight after getting beaten by Norris, but being the lead driver at an engine manufacturing team is not something many drivers get the privilege of.

But next year will give us the answer to that.

[PitViperRacing]

Red Bull offered him the same as Renault so it should not have been a factor.

 

edit: I mean financially. Renault offered him #1 status as well which he did not get from the Bulls.

Thinking of it financially, his stock price would have taken a hit for the next contract if he had stayed with Red Bull. By jumping to Renault, he kept his stock price high which meant he got paid well to move to McLaren.

 

Financially, moving to Renault was the smart call. Racing wise, that's something only Danny Ric can answer.

 

FYI I have no idea why he moved to McLaren from Renault. The smart decision was to stay at Alpine for the 2022 regs, as McLaren won't be a title contender anytime soon. Alpine has an outside chance

Edited by PitViperRacing, 15 December 2021 - 03:39.

[kumo7]

What a pointless question. 

 

Obviously he thinks many things. As he respect his own decision, the besrt choice at the time, would have no regret.

Seeing how the team grown up with Honda Power, might have thought, respect.

Knowing that PU situation not too brilliant, would feel certainty on his future.

 

Over all, I do think that RIC made his decision firm to become the WDC for McLaren. 

And he knows that he face Norris, who has grown much further. 

I think Escaping is not the option at the moment. 

It is take it or retire, that he think, I imagine.

Obviously, whether he have to do that is absolutely nothing to do with it.

Edited by kumo7, 15 December 2021 - 03:47.

[gowebber]

Thinking of it financially, his stock price would have taken a hit for the next contract if he had stayed with Red Bull. By jumping to Renault, he kept his stock price high which meant he got paid well to move to McLaren.

Financially, moving to Renault was the smart call. Racing wise, that's something only Danny Ric can answer.

FYI I have no idea why he moved to McLaren from Renault. The smart decision was to stay at Alpine for the 2022 regs, as McLaren won't be a title contender anytime soon. Alpine has an outside chance

McLaren are one of the all time great F1 teams. Write them off at your own peril especially now Brown and Seidl are leading the team.

[dannyricsshoe]

I think next year's car will suit Dan better, plus he'll have some say in its development. I don't think Dan will think anything of the Red Bull winning other than being happy for his former team-mates. At the end of the day Dan new he would always play second fiddle to Verstappen.

[RainyAfterlifeDaylight]

He is thinking of the next bet and Tattoo design 😁

[goldenboy]

He originally said he had concerns about the Honda which is why he left, but in reality (which I think he later admitted), it was to do with the Baku crash. He could see what was happeneing, with Max becoming preferred.

 

Red Bull would have been right to favor Max too, he is the faster driver. So to answer the question, he is probably more happy to not be Max's lapdog than feeling like he made a wrong choice.

 

Dan's chances for a title were 2014 to 2018. Red Bull didn't have a car capable of winning the WDC.

 

Dan can still win a title though. He's not in his late 30's like some believe.

Edited by goldenboy, 15 December 2021 - 05:07.

[Baddoer]

No point of him dangling around 10 seconds behind Max in the races... He might have done better job than Perez, but team will always support Verstappen... At least he had fun with these f$$$$$$ podiums at Renault.

[PitViperRacing]

McLaren are one of the all time great F1 teams. Write them off at your own peril especially now Brown and Seidl are leading the team.

I know, I just don't see a engine customer team becoming champion to be honest, they'll always be hamstrung by their engine manufacturer. That's why I think Alpine is the better option, they're always going to put their best foot forward engine wise, so if they nail the regs they could be a legit threat.

[gowebber]

I know, I just don't see a engine customer team becoming champion to be honest, they'll always be hamstrung by their engine manufacturer. That's why I think Alpine is the better option, they're always going to put their best foot forward engine wise, so if they nail the regs they could be a legit threat.

 

Well I thought in 2018 the directive was set that made sure customers got the same engines and were not disadvantaged so if they produce a better car I don't see why not especially now the playing field should be closer to level than ever before with these new rules. 

 

"FIA in new push to prevent Formula 1 customer engine inequality"

 

https://www.autospor...322779/5322779/

Edited by gowebber, 15 December 2021 - 06:05.

[CoolBreeze]

what is he thinking? absolutely nothing. Probably preparing for next year.

 

It's some fellas here who are still living in the past.

[PitViperRacing]

Well I thought in 2018 the directive was set that made sure customers got the same engines and were not disadvantaged so if they produce a better car I don't see why not especially now the playing field should be closer to level than ever before with these new rules. 

 

"FIA in new push to prevent Formula 1 customer engine inequality"

 

https://www.autospor...322779/5322779/

Well for example don't Mercedes have a rule which limits the amount of engines a customer team can use over a season? That is a massive impediment on a team like McLaren chasing a title.

[Casey]

Dan is not an idiot and realized that staying next to young Max was not an option if he wanted to ever become champion .

Made a gamble with a crazy financial bonus going to Renault and after that I think he made the right choice going to McLaren .

 

Sad for him is that Norris is yet again an up and coming talent and I also feel Dan has lost some of his motivation to go all in again,

I hope for him but fear next year will be more of the same but I'm not so sure he will mind that badly .

[ARTGP]

Well I thought in 2018 the directive was set that made sure customers got the same engines and were not disadvantaged so if they produce a better car I don't see why not especially now the playing field should be closer to level than ever before with these new rules.

"FIA in new push to prevent Formula 1 customer engine inequality"

https://www.autospor...322779/5322779/

I don’t know. It was obvious to me that something screwy happened with the distribution of Mercedes power units this year. It was clear that the factory got prioritized. There’s some comments on it from the Alpine boss. They definitely drew the short stick. I think Mclaren are going switch to VAG anyways. So it won’t be long for them to be able to have themselves prioritized.

It’s not just about having the same spec as Mercedes. It about being able to design the packaging, the entire shape of the power unit and it’s cooling requirement to suit your car optimally. As it is, that PU is designed for a Merc aero package.

Edited by ARTGP, 15 December 2021 - 06:38.

[Dolph]

Red Bull offered him the same as Renault so it should not have been a factor.

 

edit: I mean financially. Renault offered him #1 status as well which he did not get from the Bulls.

 

 

I didn't know that. Do you remember where that was reported? It would have made Ricciardo earn more than Verstappen?

[Widefoot2]

As others have said, it should be Red Bull regretting pushing Dan out, as they'd have had much better chances for both Championships with him and Max together.

[Man of the race]

Beverages.