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World reacts to Daniel Ricciardo’s move from Red Bull to Renault

RED Bull chief was reportedly so blindsided by Daniel Ricciardo’s decision to leave for Renault he thought the Aussie was joking.

Alex BlairAlex Blair
@alexblair_1
6 min read
August 5, 2018 - 2:53PM
Ricciardo’s days at Red Bull are numbered.
Ricciardo’s days at Red Bull are numbered.

FORMULA One ace Daniel Ricciardo will be racing for Renault next year.

No, that isn’t a typo.

Motorsport fans were baffled on Friday (AEST) as news of the 29-year-old’s shock move away from Red Bull broke around the world. The Herald Sun reported an insider at Red Bull revealed Ricciardo’s explosive defection, which has become the first domino to fall in what will likely be a massive shake-up for the sport in 2019.

The Austrian-based team released a statement confirming he’ll be leaving at the end of the year as Renault released a triumphant message announcing its new poster boy.

Here’s how the world reacted to the news.

RICCIARDO’S PARTING MESSAGE

Ricciardo thanked Red Bull after the waters settled, reminiscing on his five season stint at the Austrian team in a video montage on Twitter.

He also spoke about the decision in a video blog,

“It was by far the toughest decision I’ve made in my racing career but in 29 years living on this earth, it was actually one of the toughest life decisions I’ve made,” Ricciardo said.

“Sad to move on, absolutely, excited for the challenge at Renault but it’s been a 10-year journey for Red Bull.

“Some amazing memories from there, things that I’ll always be grateful for and I’ll never forget that ride.

“I felt it was a time now where it was good for me to move on and have a fresh start somewhere else. I think it will be healthy for me — so excited for what lies ahead with Renault.

“I just want to thank Red Bull Racing, Red Bull the company for everything they’ve done for me.

“I really appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart, and we’ve got nine races left to kick some a***, so let’s get it.”

According to reports, Red Bull chief Christian Horner was so surprised by Ricciardo’s decision he initially thought his driver was joking when Ricciardo called to inform him he was switching to Renault — Red Bull’s long-time engine supplier who has been dropped in favour of Honda for 2019.

Ricciardo will still race for Red Bull for the remainder of the season, hoping to add to his tally of seven wins, 29 podiums and two pole positions with the team.

WAS DAN BITTER AT RED BULL?

Was there a straw that broke the camel’s back?
Was there a straw that broke the camel’s back?

Whispers concerning Ricciardo’s happiness during what will turn out to be his final year at Red Bull, which saw him eclipsed by teammate Max Verstappen, have been amplified by the Aussie’s left-field defection to Renault.

The 20-year-old Verstappen, who is regularly tipped as a future champion of the sport, lapped Ricciardo in becoming the third highest paid driver on the grid behind four-time world champions Lewis Hamilton and Sebastian Vettel.

The fiery Dutchman was reportedly offered more than McLaren currently pays two-time champion Fernando Alonso despite the youngster coming in behind Ricciardo on the drivers’ standings in the two seasons they’ve spent together.

Ricciardo had routinely hinted at staying put next year, saying in July: “It is obviously looking more and more likely I will remain.” It’s another reason his bombshell backflip was such a shock, but perhaps the writing was on the wall when talking about Verstappen just over a fortnight ago.

“I guess Max and myself probably take too many points away from each other,” he said as he reflected on his title chances. Winning a world championship while he’s in the prime of his career is Ricciardo’s primary focus, and perhaps he felt he couldn’t do that alongside Verstappen, particularly if Red Bull had showed its hand by offering him a sweeter pay packet.

The Red Bull garage isn’t big enough for the two of them.
The Red Bull garage isn’t big enough for the two of them.

F1 journalist James Allen believed Red Bull’s commitment to Verstappen set Ricciardo on the course to leaving.

“The seeds of this move were sown in autumn last year when Red Bull signed Max Verstappen onto a big money contract extension to the end of 2021. This warded off attention from Mercedes and Ferrari and locked the Dutchman in,” Allen wrote.

“The gesture towards his teammate gave Ricciardo a pretty clear feeling about where he stood in the thinking of (Red Bull motorsport director) Helmut Marko and the Red Bull management. He’s liked and respected as much for his consistency and his joyful personality as for his speed.

“Ricciardo is one of the fastest drivers in F1, but Red Bull clearly felt that Verstappen has that extra half a tenth of pace as well as combativity that make him the driver to bet the farm on. They wanted to retain Ricciardo, but the premise and the terms were clearly not what Ricciardo wants.”

Ricciardo said he was welcoming the “fresh change” Renault will provide in the official statement released by the team.

“It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far. But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge,” Ricciardo said.

“I realise that there is a lot ahead in order to allow Renault to reach their target of competing at the highest level but I have been impressed by their progression in only two years, and I know that each time Renault has been in the sport they eventually won.

“I hope to be able to help them in this journey and contribute on and off track.”

Ricciardo stamped his foot down last year, revealing he wouldn’t be interested in joining F1 heavyweight Ferrari if it meant he was playing second fiddle to Vettel.

It’s not hard to see why Ricciardo — widely regarded as the best overtaker on the grid — is seeking greener pastures as a number one driver on a multi-year contract.

Sky Sports commentator Ted Kravitz tweeted that “essentially Ricciardo just wanted a change, something (Red Bull boss) Christian Horner never really took seriously”.

He will join Nico Hulkenberg at Renault, who currently holds the F1 record for most starts without a podium. Hulkenberg’s 2018 teammate, Carlos Sainz, is yet to have his future in the sport revealed.

RENAULT’S VOW TO ‘UNIQUE’ RICCIARDO

Renault have promised to repay Ricciardo for his faith.
Renault have promised to repay Ricciardo for his faith.

President of Renault Sport Racing Jérôme Stoll declared the acquisition of Ricciardo as a “unique opportunity” for the team to claim its first championship since Fernando Alonso’s famous one-two in 2005-06.

“Renault decided to come back to Formula One to fight for world championships. Signing Daniel Ricciardo is a unique opportunity for the Groupe Renault towards this objective that could not be missed. We welcome Daniel’s arrival to our team, still in the making, but more motivated than ever,” Stoll said.

While some fans remain pessimistic over Ricciardo’s questionable move to a lower-tier team, Managing Director at Renault Cyril Abiteboul insists the team has a debt to repay the Aussie for his faith in the developing team.

“Daniel’s signing underscores our determination to accelerate our progress towards the forefront of the sport. It is also a recognition of the work accomplished over the past two and a half seasons,” Abiteboul said.

“Daniel’s undoubted talent and charisma are a huge bonus and statement for the team. We will have to repay his faith in us by delivering the best car possible. We welcome him to our growing team in 2019 with a great deal of pride, but also humility.”

Claims Ricciardo made a terrible decision in ditching Red Bull were countered by F1 journalist Tyler Duffy, who suggested the Aussie’s defection was a stroke of genius. “Makes sense for Ricciardo to cash in for next two years wherever with Hamilton and Vettel locked in at Merc and Ferrari and then see what happens. Renault has potential moving forward,” Duffy tweeted.

Future teammate Hulkenberg welcomed the Aussie to Renault “family” on Twitter.

RED BULL UNSURE ON LIFE WITHOUT DAN

Long time Team Principal at Red Bull Racing Christian Horner thanked Ricciardo for his four seasons at the Austrian team after the news was revealed.

“We fully respect Daniel’s decision to leave Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and we wish him all the best in his future. We would like to thank him for his dedication and the role he has played since joining the Team in 2014, the highlights of course being the seven wins and the 29 podiums he has achieved so far with us,” Horner said.

Horner would not reveal who Red Bull had in mind for the next driver to partner young gun Verstappen in 2019 but insisted it had “numerous options”.

“We will now continue to evaluate the numerous options available to us before deciding on which driver partners Max Verstappen for the 2019 season,” Horner said. “In the meantime, there are still nine races left in 2018 and we are fully focused on maximising every opportunity for Max and Daniel for the remainder of the season.”

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Original URL: https://www.news.com.au/sport/motorsport/formula-one/world-reacts-to-daniel-ricciardos-move-from-red-bull-to-renault/news-story/bc04a7ca64319b3aa1180416b87089ca