Christian Horner calls Daniel Ricciardo “more than just a driver,” while Marko slams his lack of “killer instinct”
During a year of ‘worst-kept secrets’, potentially the most obvious announcement of them all came yesterday. Eight-time Grand Prix winner Daniel Ricciardo had his last lap of honour during the Singapore Grand Prix last time out. The Aussie makes way for 2023 super-sub Liam Lawson, who will race for Visa Cash App RB for the rest of the season.
The tributes for one of the sport’s most loved personalities are still pouring in. Lewis Hamilton simply refers to Ricciardo as a “legend” in the post announcing his departure. While Alpine’s Pierre Gasly refers to the Aussie as “one of a kind.”
After re-joining the sport last season as Nyck de Vries’ mid-season replacement, the eight-time race winner hoped to return to Red Bull. Alas, the epic comeback seems to be off the cards. Red Bull Team Principal, Christian Horner, said the following about his former driver:
“From the moment you arrived at Red Bull, it was obvious you were so much more than just a driver. Your constant enthusiasm, sense of humour and attitude will leave an indelible legacy on the Team here in Milton Keynes and F1 as a whole. Thank you for the wins, smiles, songs (and I wish I could say the shoeys). You will always be a special part of the Red Bull Family.”
He concluded, “8 wins, 32 podiums, 1329 points. These statistics and accolades are not the only measure of who you are and what you have achieved. Thank you, Daniel.”
For those hoping for a last dance in Texas, or that he might see out the rest of the season, it appears Ricciardo has reached the end of the road.
Helmut Marko doesn’t hold back on Ricciardo
While Horner reminisced about the good times with his former driver, Red Bull Advisor Helmut Marko took a different approach. He said:
“He didn’t have a winning car at either Renault or McLaren. He did win at Monza [2021 Italian GP], but those were special circumstances.”
He continued, “I don’t know what exactly happened, because if we knew, we would have helped him. But the speed and, above all, this late braking, and then he goes left or right… in these last few years he tried, but it was no longer there. The killer instinct was gone.”
Regarding the timing of Ricciardo’s departure, Marko explained that his fastest lap in Singapore was a “worthy farewell performance.” While the minor achievement proved his “potential,” Marko admitted the Aussie proved he was “not at the level that would have justified him coming to Red Bull Racing.”
The well-known paddock figure concluded that “this story of the prodigal son re-joining Red Bull Racing unfortunately didn’t work out.”
Feature Image Credit: @F1 on X