Official: Daniel Ricciardo will leave Red Bull at the end of the year!
The Red Bull team announced in a statement that Daniel Ricciardo had decided to leave the Austrian team at the end of the current season.
Daniel Ricciardo was a key piece in the transfer game this off-season. We now know that the Australian driver has chosen not to continue his collaboration with Red Bull, as the team announced in a statement:
We fully respect Daniel’s decision to leave the Aston Martin Red Bull team and wish him the best for the future. We would like to thank him for his commitment and the role he has played in the team’s successes since 2014 with his 7 wins and 29 podiums, stated team principal Christian Horner.
At the end of his contract at the end of the season, “Dan the Man” ultimately did not wish to extend with the team that had chosen him in 2014 to succeed Mark Webber. His decision is naturally linked to Horner’s recent statements on the integration of the Honda engine, which will inevitably have an impact on short-term competitiveness.
Daniel to leave the Team at the end of the /f1/actualite/22880-officiel-daniel-ricciardo-quittera-red-bull-a-la-fin-de-lannee-.html season.
More 👉 https://t.co/YP9ESsaFqq #F1 pic.twitter.com/9BbUKLhdV4— Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) 3 août /f1/actualite/22880-officiel-daniel-ricciardo-quittera-red-bull-a-la-fin-de-lannee-.html
His replacement has not yet been announced, and it seems that Red Bull wants to take its time: “We will continue to evaluate the many possible options before deciding who will be Max Verstappen’s teammate in 2019,” says the Briton. 🗣️ “There are still nine races left in and we are fully focused on maximising every opportunity.” More 👉 [link] #F1 [link] — Red Bull Racing (@redbullracing) August 3 [link]
On his side, Daniel Ricciardo is ultimately heading to Renault, with whom the Australian had already established initial contacts. A challenge that seems bold at this moment but could prove rewarding in the near future, akin to what Lewis Hamilton did in 2013, moving from McLaren to Mercedes. In any case, this surprise decision is going to shake up the transfer market: it already affects Esteban Ocon, who was expected in the second Renault seat.
