Helmut Marko’s Daniel Ricciardo ‘lost killer instinct’ verdict as F1 exit confirmed
Daniel Ricciardo and Helmut Marko.
Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko believes the “killer instinct” left Daniel Ricciardo, the how and why remaining a mystery.
Ricciardo went into the 2024 Singapore Grand Prix surrounded by speculation that this would be his final race, with the rumours stating Red Bull reserve Liam Lawson would replace the eight-time race winner at VCARB. On Thursday following Singapore, this was made official.
Helmut Marko says Daniel Ricciardo ‘killer instinct was gone’
Ricciardo returned to the Red Bull fold in 2023, having initially left the team in 2018 and embarking on spells with Renault and McLaren, the latter proving underwhelming as McLaren terminated his contract with a year left to run.
Returning to the grid midway through 2023 as Nyck de Vries’ replacement at the Red Bull second team, then known as AlphaTauri, Ricciardo looked to impress and engineer a return to the senior Red Bull squad, though that fairy tale F1 career ending has not come to pass.
And in Marko’s opinion, two key Ricciardo traits – his late braking and killer instinct – vanished from his repertoire.
“I think the decision to leave Red Bull Racing was the turning point in his career,” Marko claimed to Motorsport-Total.com.
“Then he didn’t have a winning car at either Renault or McLaren. He did win at Monza [2021], but those were special circumstances.
“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.”
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The Singapore GP was something of a unique situation, with Ricciardo acknowledging the “realistic chance” that he would not be in the car for the United States Grand Prix, yet it was uncertain whether this truly was his last race.
But Marko revealed that Ricciardo was aware of the decision, the Aussie signing off with the fastest lap and Driver of the Day award, taking a crucial point away from Lando Norris as he challenges Red Bull’s Max Verstappen for the Drivers’ Championship, while McLaren has opened up a 41-point lead over Red Bull in the Constructors’.
“[The timing] was related to a variety of factors and obligations,” Marko stated. “He was informed, and the worthy farewell performance was, I think, the fastest lap.
“That still showed what potential he has, not continuously and not at the level that would have justified him coming to Red Bull Racing, but that was an impeccable performance.
“I think it was clearly communicated that he has to be significantly better than Yuki Tsunoda and he only managed that in a few races, so it was clear that this story of the prodigal son rejoining Red Bull Racing unfortunately didn’t work out.
“He said very well that he is at peace with himself, and he has come to terms with the situation and we will see what his plans for the future are.”
Ricciardo took to social media after the announcement to reflect on his “wild and wonderful” F1 story.
“I’ve loved this sport my whole life,” he wrote. “It’s wild and wonderful and been a journey.
“To the teams and individuals that have played their part, thank you. To the fans who love the sport sometimes more than me haha thank you. It’ll always have its highs and lows but it’s been fun and truth be told I wouldn’t change it.
“Until the next adventure.”
PlanetF1.com understands that the door has been left open for Ricciardo to stay in the Red Bull Racing pool, as he now mulls over that option.
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