Daniel Ricciardo’s Formula 1 journey took an unexpected turn after leaving Red Bull at the peak of his career in 2019. His stints with Renault and McLaren, though dotted with fleeting moments of success, never lived up to the promise he once showed as a fierce competitor. The culmination of these struggles led to Ricciardo being sidelined after being dropped by McLaren. But Helmut Marko insists that while the rest of the grid had given up on him, Red Bull was the only team brave enough to give Ricciardo a second chance.
Ricciardo, once a proven winner, seemed to have lost his edge after leaving the Red Bull family. Despite his immense talent, no team wanted to take the risk of bringing him back into the fold. Red Bull, however, decided to reintroduce the “Honey Badger” through its sister team, Racing Bulls (RB), with the hope of reviving his career. According to Marko, this was a bold move that no one else was willing to make.
“Nobody would have given Ricciardo a second chance, only we did,” Marko emphasized. “Racing Bulls was just to be a stop for Ricciardo, but it has not proven to have the speed or constancy to return to Red Bull.”
The expectations were clear: if Ricciardo could shine at Racing Bulls, a potential return to the top Red Bull team alongside Max Verstappen seemed possible. Unfortunately, Ricciardo couldn’t find the form that once made him one of the grid’s most formidable drivers. Despite some promising flashes, like his strong performance in Mexico last year and a solid showing in the Miami Sprint this season, the magic that defined his early career appeared to be fading.
Marko acknowledged that while there were brief moments of the old Ricciardo on display, they were not enough to justify a permanent return to the Red Bull squad. “Only in Mexico a year ago and in Miami in the Sprint this year there were flashes of Ricciardo that we knew, but his lightning-fast overtakes were no longer seen.”
Despite the challenges, Christian Horner has kept the door slightly ajar for Ricciardo’s future return. While the Australian failed to recapture the level of performance needed to remain in F1 this time around, his loyalty to the team and his willingness to help—such as securing the fastest lap in Singapore to aid Verstappen—has kept him in Red Bull’s good graces.
As the 35-year-old reflects on a career filled with highs and lows, Ricciardo remains ever hopeful of a third act in Formula 1. Even if his prime racing days are behind him, his determination to remain involved in the sport shows that the Honey Badger will continue to lurk in the shadows, waiting for another opportunity to strike.
