Jenson Button Weighs In: Age Isn’t the Issue in Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 Departure

Jenson Button shares his thoughts on Daniel Ricciardo: "Age isn't the issue; he's still young." Jenson Button reflects on Daniel Ricciardo's exit from Formula 1.

Jenson Button, the 2009 world champion, has shared his thoughts on Daniel Ricciardo's unexpected exit from Formula 1.

Following the Singapore Grand Prix that took place in September, Red Bull revealed that Liam Lawson would take over from Ricciardo for the concluding six races of the 2024 Formula 1 season.

During the Singapore weekend, there were rumors circulating that Ricciardo was about to be replaced, which would essentially mark the end of his Formula 1 career.

During an episode of the Sky Sports F1 podcast, Button discussed his reasons for wishing Ricciardo had been able to complete the entire season.

"It's interesting, as there's essentially just one team known for changing drivers during the season, whether it's a few races in or halfway through. That team is Red Bull and its sister team, AlphaTauri," Button remarked.

"It's uncommon, and throughout my career, I've never witnessed anything like it, except in cases where a driver crashes in every race, leading to a decision of, 'We simply can't afford to keep you in the car.'"

"It's an unusual situation. I've never been at ease with it, as I believe a driver should have the entire season to prove their abilities. After all, it's a championship, and the goal is to accumulate as many points as possible throughout the season, not just halfway. However, the approach has always been different."

Button expressed admiration for Ricciardo's impressive career in Formula 1, highlighting his season competing with Sebastian Vettel and his often overlooked time at Renault.

"In all honesty, they've placed Daniel in several races throughout the season, making it a challenging situation," he mentioned. "I find it difficult to comprehend Daniel's recent performance outcomes, given his extraordinary talent. He truly is remarkable."

Back in 2014, stepping into the Red Bull car and competing against Sebastian Vettel, as well as going head-to-head with Max Verstappen while maintaining such a high level of competitiveness, was truly astonishing.

"We also observed some of his potential at Renault, prior to the team's rebranding as Alpine. Initially, he took a while to acclimate, but once he did, he consistently demonstrated impressive speed, matching the highly regarded Nico Hulkenberg."

"It simply didn't come together at McLaren and AlphaTauri, which is really unfortunate. As for the reason why, I'm not sure."

Button remains skeptical that Ricciardo's recent struggles are due to his age, but he is uncertain about the actual cause of the downturn in his performance.

"It's not about his age; he's not considered old. Just consider Fernando Alonso and what he's still capable of," Button clarified. "The only one who truly understands is likely Daniel himself, and I empathize with him. Experiencing significant success for much of his career only to see it decline in recent years is undoubtedly challenging."

"I believe, based on what I've been told, he has come to terms with it and has his entire future ahead of him."

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