Helmut Marko Reflects on Daniel Ricciardo’s Career Shift: The Turning Point and Loss of Killer Instinct

Helmut Marko identifies the pivotal moment in Daniel Ricciardo's F1 trajectory following a decline in his 'killer instinct'.

Helmut Marko views Daniel Ricciardo leaving Red Bull in 2018 as the pivotal moment in his Formula 1 journey.

On Thursday, RB announced that Ricciardo will no longer be part of their team, introducing Liam Lawson as his replacement for the season's last six races. This decision appears to mark the conclusion of the 35-year-old Australian's career in Formula 1.

With eight grand prix victories to his credit, Ricciardo was once viewed as a top contender in F1 racing. However, his latest efforts with RB have been disappointing, continuing a trend of lackluster results that began during his time with McLaren in 2022.

Red Bull's motorsport consultant, Marko, believes Ricciardo's professional trajectory took a downturn after he left the squad in late 2018 for a high-paying deal with Renault, subsequently moving on to McLaren.

"Marko mentioned to Motorsport-Total.com that departing from Red Bull Racing was the pivotal moment in his career."

Subsequently, he lacked a competitive vehicle during his stints with Renault and McLaren. However, he managed to secure a victory at Monza, although that was under exceptional conditions.

"I'm not sure of the specific details, as having that knowledge would have enabled us to assist him."

"However, the velocity and, most importantly, the delayed braking, followed by a swift movement to the left or right… in the recent years, although he made attempts, it just wasn't the same anymore; the instinct to dominate had faded."

Regarding Ricciardo's departure from Red Bull, Marko commented that Ricciardo had some doubts about the Honda engine and it seems he was more influenced by Renault and Cyril Abiteboul's persuasive promises.

Economically, the proposal from Renault was very similar to ours in terms of value. Additionally, I warned him about the difficulty of performing 'shoeys.' It's rare to see Renault achieving podium finishes.

He joined our team having outperformed Vettel with a clean sweep of three victories to none in 2014, and while Daniil Kvyat occasionally outpaced him afterwards, he managed to maintain his dominance over Kvyat throughout the season.

"Subsequently, Max arrived and his strength increased progressively, which undeniably contributed to his choice of Renault instead of our team."

In his last race at the Singapore Grand Prix, Ricciardo aimed to support his ex-Red Bull colleague, Max Verstappen, in the championship race by achieving the fastest lap time. This move prevented Verstappen's closest competitor, Lando Norris, from gaining an additional point.

Marko mentioned that Red Bull had communicated their strategy to Ricciardo, believing his quickest lap served as an appropriate goodbye.

"Marko clarified that the decision was influenced by several elements and commitments. He mentioned that the individual was notified, and in his view, the remarkable parting act was achieving the quickest circuit."

"This clearly demonstrated his capabilities, albeit not consistently nor at the standard that would have warranted his move to Red Bull Racing, yet it was a flawless execution.

It was evidently conveyed that he needed to outperform Yuki Tsunoda by a significant margin, yet he only achieved this in a handful of races. Thus, it became apparent that the narrative of the returning prodigy to Red Bull Racing, unfortunately, did not unfold as hoped.

"He expressed quite confidently that he has found inner peace and has accepted the circumstances. We'll discover what his future intentions are."

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