Daniel Ricciardo has never been the same since he left Red Bull in 2018, according to F1 Pundit

Daniel Ricciardo should not have left Red Bull back in 2018, opined renowned F1 figure Martin Brundle. The former F1 driver questioned Ricciardo's six-year-old decision and stated that the Honey Badger has never been the same since his Red Bull departure.

At the end of the 2018 season, Daniel Ricciardo decided to leave Red Bull and join Renault. Experts believe the decision was influenced by Verstappen's increasing dominance within the Red Bull camp. Furthermore, statistics also showed that Ricciardo failed to keep up with a young Verstappen, who regularly outperformed him. In 2018, Ricciardo claimed 170 points with two wins, two pole positions, and two podiums, compared to Verstappen's 249 points, two wins, and 11 podiums.

In the end, Ricciardo decided to end his Red Bull journey and switch to Renault, which was a midfield team. Brundle, sharing his thoughts on this with Sky Sports, wrote in his column:

"I wish he'd not left Red Bull at the end of 2018. That was an emotional and flawed decision, he should have faced up to Max in the best car, then he'd have necessarily raised his game even further."

The British commentator then shed light on how Ricciardo did not get back to his Red Bull form after his departure. The Australian driver has only been able to manage two podiums and a solitary win from 2019 to this date.

"Ricciardo never seemed to be quite the same driver again. He clearly still does have speed and race craft, as we witnessed also in the Miami Sprint, but something in his psyche or approach is holding that back and it's costing him opportunity and longevity," asserted Martin Brundle.

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What's next for Daniel Ricciardo?

F1 Grand Prix of Canada - Practice MONTREAL, QUEBEC - JUNE 07: Daniel Ricciardo of Australia and Visa Cash App RB talks with race engineer Pierre Hamelin in the garage during practice ahead of the F1 Grand Prix of Canada at Circuit Gilles Villeneuve on June 07, 2024 in Montreal, Quebec. (Photo by Rudy Carezzevoli/Getty Images)

Going by the latest developments, Daniel Ricciardo's future at Red Bull Racing does not seem to be an option. Now that the Milton-Keynes-based team has re-signed Sergio Perez on a two-year deal, the door has been slammed on Ricciardo.

On the other hand, Ricciardo has been struggling to cope with his RB teammate, Yuki Tsunoda. Right from last season, when he replaced Nyck de Vries, to this season, the eight-time GP winner mostly remained in the shadows of the Japanese driver.

This leaves Ricciardo with two options. He either needs to perform to safeguard his RB seat for 2025 from Liam Lawson. If not, he can join back-markers such as Haas, or Alfa Romeo for a season, until the 2026 regulations come into effect.