Christian Horner revealed that Helmut Marko wanted Daniel Ricciardo out by the Spanish Grand Prix, citing a lack of consistency that ultimately led to the Australian’s removal from the Red Bull seat.
A lack of consistency ultimately sealed Daniel Ricciardo’s fate, according to Christian Horner, the Red Bull Racing team principal.
The Brit explained the decision to remove the Australian from RB F1, revealing that if Helmut Marko had his way, Ricciardo would have been gone much earlier.
In fact, Red Bull’s motorsport consultant was ready to cut ties with Ricciardo at the Spanish Grand Prix, the 10th round of the season.
“It was the lack of consistency that dictated this decision,” Horner confirms today.
“He started the season off shakily, then Miami was a weekend of two halves. Friday and Saturday morning were fantastic, and it looked like the old Daniel, defending against the Ferraris and outperforming the car.”
“But Saturday afternoon and Sunday were disastrous.”
“Around the Barcelona Grand Prix, Helmut wanted him out of the seat, and there was already a lot of pressure on him at that point.”
Horner stated that he had done “everything he could” to extend Ricciardo’s time in the seat, but was asked why the Australian was shown the door while Sergio Perez, Max Verstappen’s teammate at Red Bull, remains, despite both drivers facing repeated criticism over their performances in the 2024 F1 season.
“All drivers are under pressure, but the reason Daniel was in that car was to position himself to step in if Checo didn’t perform. The issue is, both of them experienced form issues at different times.”
“Checo started the season very well, very strong, and Daniel struggled. Then, when Checo’s form dropped, Daniel regained some form, but it was never convincing enough to say, ‘OK, we should swap the two drivers.’”
Asked about how much Ricciardo, one of Formula 1’s iconic figures, will be missed, Horner replied, “A lot. I mean, Daniel is simply a brilliant character. He’s a brilliant human being. He lights up a room when he enters, you know, with that infectious smile.”
“We never signed him with any hesitation! We made a big effort to get him back to his full potential, even returning him to Red Bull Racing. It didn’t work out, these things happen.”
“But I hope he stays in the sport, and we’ve made it clear we want him to remain as a team ambassador.”
- You may also like>Krack: Aston Martin Must Impress Before Newey Joins
- Also make sure you follow us on social media>Facebook and>Twitter
Horner: Ricciardo’s Fate Sealed by Inconsistency Horner: Ricciardo’s Fate Sealed by Inconsistency
