Ricciardo lost 'killer instinct' after Red Bull departure: Helmut Marko

Red Bull Racing/Red Bull Content Pool

Red Bull Racing adviser's critical perspective on the Australian driver's career trajectory

In a revealing interview with Motorsport Total, Red Bull Racing adviser Helmut Marko has expressed his belief that Daniel Ricciardo lost his "killer instinct" upon his departure from Red Bull in 2019. Ricciardo, who clinched seven of his eight race victories with Red Bull, subsequently spent two years each with Renault and McLaren. His notable win came in the 2021 Italian Grand Prix for McLaren.

Ricciardo made a brief return to Red Bull last season, only to make way for Liam Lawson for the remainder of this year, as confirmed on Thursday.

Marko pinpointed Ricciardo's decision to leave Red Bull as the crucial moment that altered the trajectory of his career. "I think the decision to leave Red Bull Racing was the turning point in his career," Marko stated. "Then he didn't have a winning car at either Renault or McLaren. He did win at Monza, but those were special circumstances."

Marko added, "I don't know what exactly happened, because if we knew, we would have helped him. But the speed and, above all, this late braking, and then he goes left or right... in these last few years he tried but it was no longer there, the killer instinct was gone."

Helmut Marko also suggested that Ricciardo's decision was influenced by his reluctance to compete against Max Verstappen with equal machinery. "He had certain reservations about the Honda engine and apparently he listened more to the sweet talk of Renault and Cyril Abiteboul. Financially, there wasn't much difference between what Renault offered him and what we offered."

Reflecting on Ricciardo's early success with Red Bull, Marko mentioned, "He came to us, beating Vettel with three-to-zero victories in 2014 and after that, Daniil Kvjat was faster than him at times, but over the season he also had him under control."

"And then Max came and he got stronger and stronger, so that was certainly one of the reasons for his decision to choose Renault over us," Marko concluded.

According to reports, Marko was a pivotal figure advocating for Liam Lawson to replace Ricciardo, while Christian Horner supported Ricciardo until the end.

Marko envisions the company's second team as a breeding ground for fresh talent. Lawson, a product of Red Bull's driver academy since 2019, will have six events this year to demonstrate his capabilities as the company evaluates future team compositions, with Sergio Pérez's position still uncertain.

Lawson's performance in these upcoming events could determine whether he secures a place within the Red Bull family next season, as the company continues to focus on nurturing its young talents.

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