Marko explains why Ricciardo exit could not be known until after Singapore

"Ricciardo's departure was only announced after the race weekend in Singapore for compelling reasons related to commercial arrangements," Marko said in his new column for Speedweek.com. Red Bull Racing's team advisor confirmed that the Perth-based driver already knew the weekend at the Marina Bay Street Circuit would be his last. "He himself was informed in good time and - to use his own words - he is at peace with it," he said.

Following his departure from McLaren in 2022, Ricciardo returned to Red Bull as the team's third driver. With the dismissal of Nyck de Vries, he was once again able to prove he was good enough for Formula 1. Red Bull's goal was always to put Ricciardo back alongside Max Verstappen, but it never came to that.

Ricciardo insufficiently seizes second chance

"He was given a second chance that nobody else would have given him. And that was done under the premise that a return to Red Bull Racing would be possible if the performance was there. VCARB was always meant only as a stopover. But the necessary performances only came twice, once with a fourth-place finish in the Miami sprint race this year and last year in Mexico," Marko said."Other than that, the speed was not there and neither was the consistency. The whole performance that would have justified a promotion to Red Bull was missing. But that was the aim of the whole thing."

What was it due to? At Red Bull, they don't know. "If we knew why the performance was not up to scratch, we would have done everything we could to change that. But the same killer instinct was no longer there. He was famous for his uncompromising overtaking and braking at the last point. But that was no longer the case either.."

At Visa Cash App RB, Liam Lawson is Ricciardo's replacement for the last six races. The New Zealander made his debut in Formula 1 last year, also then as a replacement for (the then injured) Ricciardo.

This article was written in collaboration with Corwin Kunst.