Helmut Marko Reveals Details Surrounding Daniel Ricciardo's Sudden VCARB Ousting

Saajan Jogia | Oct 3, 2024

5th placed qualifier Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB speaks to the media after qualifying ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 08, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. / Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images

Red Bull senior advisor Helmut Marko has revealed Daniel Ricciardo's lack of consistency in performance and the missing "killer instinct" that ultimately led to his departure from Red Bull's junior team, VCARB. The 81-year-old advisor emphasized that no other team would have given him a second chance like VCARB.

Ricciardo's much-talked-about unofficial farewell after the Singapore Grand Prix at Marina Bay was something that didn't go well with Formula 1 fans, who demanded that the experienced Australian driver be sent off in a better way.

The decision itself sparked considerable debate, particularly after VCARB's official announcement just days after the Singapore race. While Red Bull chief Christian Horner attributed Ricciardo's departure to his inconsistent performance during the 2024 season, Marko provided further insight, shedding light on the reasons behind Ricciardo's lack of promotion to Red Bull and the circumstances surrounding his exit.

While Ricciardo's mid-2023 joining, followed by his 5-race absence due to a wrist injury, wasn't a long enough time to gauge his performance, the 2024 season was a clean slate for the 35-year-old driver to make his mark. However, the season saw him being outperformed by his less-experienced teammate Yuki Tsunoda on 12 out of 18 Grands Prix thus far. Speaking on his VCARB and potential Formula 1 exit, Marko wrote in his Speedweek column:

"Daniel Ricciardo's departure was announced after the race weekend in Singapore for compelling reasons related to commercial agreements. He himself was informed in good time and - to use his own words - he is at peace with himself. I also think that the fastest lap he set was a fitting farewell performance.

"He was given a second chance that no one else would have given him. And that was under the premise that a return to Red Bull Racing was possible if he performed well enough. The Racing Bulls [now VCARB] team was always intended as a stopover. But the necessary performance only came twice, once with a fourth place in the sprint in Miami this year and last year in Mexico.

"But otherwise the speed was not there, and the consistency was not there either. The performance that would have justified a promotion to Red Bull Racing was missing. But that was the whole point of the whole thing.

"If we knew why the performance wasn't as good as it should be, we would have done everything we could to change it. But the same killer instinct was no longer there. He was famous for his uncompromising overtaking, braking at the last point. But that was no longer the case either."
[Translated by Google]