Red Bull Insider: Daniel Ricciardo ‘Affected By The Success’ In F1

Former Red Bull Racing driver David Coulthard has named Daniel Ricciardo as an example of a driver who couldn’t keep up with the shifting scenario in Formula One, which ultimately led to his ousting from Racing Bulls.

Ricciardo began his premier class racing career in 2011, replacing Narain Karthikeyan at HRT. In 2012, he moved to Red Bull’s junior F1 team, Toro Rosso (now Racing Bulls). His impressive performance earned him a promotion to Red Bull two years later, where he outperformed his then-world champion teammate Sebastian Vettel.

However, with the shift in regulations that saw the introduction of V6 hybrid power units in 2014, Red Bull’s form dropped considerably. 2016 saw the arrival of Max Verstappen at Red Bull, and Ricciardo fared well with the Dutch driver. However, in 2018, Ricciardo parted ways with Red Bull to join Renault, only to leave the team and join McLaren eventually.

The Australian driver parted ways with McLaren after two years, which paved the way for his exit from F1. Although the 2023 season saw him return to the sport with Racing Bulls (then AlphaTauri), his lackluster performance the following year led to his exit after the Singapore Grand Prix. Ricciardo has since stated that he won’t be returning to the sport.

Coulthard, who raced for Red Bull from 2005 to 2008, explained that drivers like Ricciardo are unable to adapt to an evolving sport like F1. He said on the High Performance Podcast:

“You see some drivers who evolve well. You see others who get affected by the success, and that affects their trajectory. I think Daniel Ricciardo would be an example of that.

“One of the bright young talents that arrived in Formula 1, one of the best overtakers of his generation, always exciting to watch. And then just suddenly, as he left Red Bull, Renault was OK, McLaren, Lando outperformed him in both years, even though Daniel won a race. And then it never really worked out again at AlphaTauri.

“Now he’s happily retired, I assume wealthy individual. But it all felt like it was condensed into too short a period.”

When asked why Ricciardo was unable to perform after leaving Red Bull, Coulthard said:

“Life, you gain baggage as you go through life. If you’re poor, that’s a Tesco bag with a few clothes inside. If you’re rich, it’s a Louis Vuitton, but it all has to be carried.

“So, whether it’s a baggage of wealth or whether it’s baggage of success, or whether it’s the baggage of poverty and difficulty, it’s got to be carried to try and get to the next opportunity.

“And for some people, maybe they’re not able to let go and actually take themselves back to the moment that was the freest point, that saw their performances at the highest level.”