Nico Hulkenberg was Daniel Ricciardo’s teammate at Renault in 2019, when the 34-year-old driver had just left Red Bull Racing.
Nico Hulkenberg [L] Daniel Ricciardo [R] (images via IMAGO)
In 2023, Nico Hulkenberg made a return to Formula 1 during the season with AlphaTauri (now VisaCashAppRB). The Australian driver had been sidelined after two disappointing seasons at McLaren. However, the struggles of the 34-year-old driver resurfaced in the challenging start of the 2024 season. The former teammate of Ricciardo expressed his opinion on the performance of the 8-time race winner.
Hulkenberg and Ricciardo were teammates at Renault in 2019. The Australian driver outperformed his German colleague by seventeen points. However, in 2024, Ricciardo has been outperformed by teammate Yuki Tsunoda at VCARB.
stated that Ricciardo’s disappointing performance was perplexing. The German driver recalled how competitive and fast Daniel Ricciardo was during their time together in Enstone.
Nico Hulkenberg highlighted that Ricciardo even struggled with the 2021 McLaren under the previous regulations. This indicated that ground effect rules were not the primary cause of the Australian’s difficulties.
Ricciardo was hired by AlphaTauri after an impressive test with the RB19 at Silverstone. However, the 34-year-old driver seems to have lost the remarkable pace he displayed last season. Doubts have arisen about the future of the Australian driver, with Red Bull junior Liam Lawson waiting for an opportunity.
Nico Hulkenberg stated that understanding Ricciardo’s situation without access to all the information and data was challenging. Hulkenberg maintained his belief that the Australian is a talented driver. However, the Haas driver suggested that Daniel Ricciardo may not be as formidable as he once was.
Daniel Ricciardo has not been able to meet expectations so far this season. The Australian driver has made it clear that he is striving to improve through regular discussions with the team based in Faenza. However, the 8-time race winner continues to struggle against Tsunoda. Fans are hoping to see Ricciardo improve his performance in the upcoming races.
