Renault double standards after Aussie Daniel Ricciardo jumps ship to join rivals McLaren from 2021
Renault’s team principal has shown Daniel Ricciardo his proverbial middle finger after the Aussie walked away from the F1 outfit. With his loyalty called into question, it seems his decision was the right one.
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As some of the dust begins to settle on a seismic week in Formula One driver movements, a few questions remain.
Is this the end for Sebastian Vettel?
It’s hard to see the four-time world champion moving backwards through the grid rather than finishing “on top” with Ferrari and focusing on his young family. Many teams would fall over themselves to secure him but retirement looks the likely option.
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Is Fernando Alonso going to return in the yellow and black of Renault for one final hurrah in the sport that made him a household name? The Spaniard currently has the rumour mill in overdrive.
And what has happened behind the scenes with Cyril Abiteboul and Daniel Ricciardo that saw the Frenchman deliver a proverbial middle finger salute to the Australian driver after it was confirmed he will joins the McLaren ranks from 2021?
After just one season in the car and never racing in the 2020 product, Ricciardo is exiting stage left from the F1 outfit that never really delivered on a multitude of promises and heading towards one of the most exciting driver match ups in years alongside McLaren’s rising star Lando Norris.
And while the F1 “norm” will always see a team wishing their departing driver all the best for their future endeavours irrespective of what has happened behind the scenes, Renault’s team principal instead opted to attack Ricciardo’s loyalty.
Confirming the Aussie’s departure, a statement from Abiteboul said: “In our sport, and particularly within the current extraordinary situation, reciprocated confidence, unity and commitment are, more than ever, critical values for a team.”
That’s big talk coming from a man that has overseen significant personnel changes - six drivers in five seasons - at a team that can offer limited assurances over its future.
Renault and Abiteboul didn’t display all that much loyalty when it came to the careers of Esteban Ocon, Jolyon Palmer and Carlos Sainz, not to mention Ricciardo’s 2019 teammate Nico Hulkenburg who has now fallen by the trackside.
Loyalty is a lovely quality to have as a human being but in F1 it means little.
Grace on the other hand has long been displayed by F1 team when driver departures are announced - even Red Bull team principal Christian Horner managed to wish Ricciardo all the best despite being blindsided by his move to Renault in 2018.
Abiteboul has done nothing but reveal bitterness.
His sentiments last week were the direct opposite of what McLaren afforded Sainz, who takes Vettel’s seat at Ferrari, and likewise how the Italian outfit farewelled their man.
Abiteboul’s reaction was classless and goes to show Ricciardo was right to look elsewhere.
Perhaps the Renault boss should look at why he left and how the team failed to deliver on false promises. At the end of 2018 it’s fair to say Renault were miles ahead of McLaren. They somehow continued to fall behind through the following season despite having significantly more experienced drivers and a bucket load more money.
While some may have sympathy for Renault given Ricciardo decided to leave without even completing a single race in the 2020 car, perhaps it speaks volumes about just how long the Aussie has been looking to get away from the false promises that lured him from Red Bull in 2018.
Let’s also not forget that Ricciardo was out of contract at the end of this season. He was always going to be looking around and you’d have to have been hiding under a rock for the last two years to not know McLaren had always intended to make the Aussie their man.
To this F1 fan, it certainly became clear very early on in Ricciardo’s days with Renault that this was not a car or a team that was going to exhibit just how good of a driver he is.
No disrespect to the French outfit but a lot of the potential that lured the Aussie to make the switch from Red Bull failed to materialise and it’s to his credit that time and time again he managed to come out with something positive to say.
Here’s to hoping McLaren brings back the Ricciardo we know and love.
Originally published as Renault double standards after Aussie Daniel Ricciardo jumps ship to join rivals McLaren from 2021