Ricciardo on choices after Red Bull: 'Renault was a good one, but McLaren...'

Decline of Ricciardo

Ricciardo left Red Bull after 2018. In that year, he was beaten by Max Verstappen. Both drivers won two races, but for Ricciardo those were also his only two podium finishes, while Verstappen was on the podium no less than 11 times. The points difference between the two drivers was 79 points. Ricciardo chose to continue his F1 career at Renault, where he was tasked with taking the team to the podium.

After two years at Renault, the opportunity to move to McLaren occured. During the first year, results were already disappointing. When it became clear that there was no improvement in Ricciardo's performance in the second year, he was shown the door. It was a downturn for the Australian from a car that won races at Red Bull, to a McLaren that he just could not get to grips with. Now, as the Australian returns to the current champions Red Bull, he is reflecting on his choices.

Ricciardo cannot call McLaren a good choice

In the Beyond the Grid podcast says Ricciardo: "It was never certain that it would have been great if I had stayed [at Red Bull]. I made the switch then because it seemed like the right move. I can be honest with myself; I took a gamble on myself. I still think the choice of Renault was a good one." 2020 sees Ricciardo as one of his strongest seasons. He had successfully accomplished the task of getting the team back to the podium. " I am very proud of that," said the Australian.

On his choice of McLaren, he looks back differently: "That win was a high, I can't deny that. But of this choice I can say I tried, but it didn't work. I don't look back on it with regrets. It was a challenge I took on but didn't turn out to be what I hoped for."