Daniel Ricciardo reveals Renault colleagues were intimidated by him

Speaking about his move from Red Bull to Renault, Daniel Ricciardo has revealed he got off to an awkward start with his new team.

Daniel Ricciardo has lifted the lid on his move from Red Bull to Renault, revealing some members of his old team were too intimidated to speak to him.

The Australian left Red Bull at the end of 2018 and switched to Renault for two seasons, in a huge coup for the French team.

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Ricciardo struggled to have success in his first season with Renault but improved in 2020 to finish the season with two podiums at the German and Italian Grand Prixs.

It certainly wasn’t a smooth start for Ricciardo at Renault, with the bubbly 32-year-old admitting several of his new colleagues gave him the cold shoulder in his early days with his new team.

“It’s something you kind of try to ignore or never want to admit,” Ricciardo said in an interview with Optus when asked if any colleagues had felt scared or intimidated by him.

“Of course, it’s not the case with everyone, but I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t noticed that on occasions.

Ricciardo’s stint at Renault got off to a rocky start. (Photo by YANN COATSALIOU / AFP)

“I think one actually was when I went from Red Bull to Renault.

“It was the most high-profile move of that season and I think quite a few people at Renault probably read too many articles and headlines, and it was a bigger deal for them with me coming.

“So I felt like (on my) first day at work, people were just shy to even say ‘hi’ to me.

“If I went to go and introduce myself, that would take them back, like, ‘why is he talking to me? I’m not that important’.”

“You could just tell some of them were really in their shell.

“I felt bad because I was like, ‘I’m not trying to overpower you, I’m just trying to be nice and start something’.

“I think the best way to break that is to be authentic, to be yourself and just to let them know you’re just like them. You’re a human and we all have feelings.

It wasn’t all fun times for Ricciardo at Renault. (Photo by MIGUEL MEDINA / POOL / AFP)

“We also all just have a passion and a love for the same thing, so that’s pretty cool.”

Midway through his second year with Renault, Ricciardo signed a multi-year deal with McLaren.

Ricciardo has struggled so far this season with McLaren, and is currently ninth in the drivers’ championship with his best result a fifth-placed finish at the British Grand Prix last month.

The F1 is currently on its mid-season break, but Ricciardo will return to action at the Belgian Grand Prix on 29 August.