"Rather than taking up the fight, he wanted to keep his distance"- Max Verstappen joining Red Bull was a 'crunch point' in Daniel Ricciardo's career, says Red Bull advisor

Helmut Marko feels Daniel Ricciardo was pressured when Max Verstappen arrived at the Red Bull Racing team. The Austrian reflected on Ricciardo’s younger years and the selection process when he became a Red Bull Racing junior driver.

Speaking to the Red Bull Bulletin, Marko said:

“Max [Verstappen] coming on the scene was a crunch point in his career. Rather than taking up the fight, he wanted to keep his distance. And you know what happened next. That’s too bad! He was always nice to work with. His speed is comparable to that of Max, but he’s just lacking that ultimate consistency.”

The Red Bull advisor felt that Ricciardo matched Verstappen in speed but often walked away from a battle with the Dutchman. Marko believes the Australian lacked consistency but had a rare skill-set right from the day he was recruited into the Red Bull camp.

Reflecting upon the time Ricciardo was selected for the Red Bull junior driver program, Marko said:

“A cheerful, natural talent with outstanding car control. I remember at the very first selection, he came out of the final bend with the back of the car way out, but he managed to get it back under control and even ended up making up some time.”

---

Helmut Marko feels Daniel Ricciardo had a glorious career even before he joined Red Bull

Helmut Marko believes Daniel Ricciardo was naturally quick and had a glorious racing career even before he joined Red Bull. The team advisor reflected on how the Australian driver had beaten Sebastian Vettel in his first season with the Milton Keynes-based outfit.

Revealing the former Red Bull driver’s talents and performance on the team, the Austrian veteran said:

“Daniel [Ricciardo] gets into the car and is fast straight from the off. Even before he came to Red Bull Racing, his career was on an upward trajectory the whole time. In his first year at Red Bull Racing, he beat [Sebastian] Vettel by three wins to nil.”

In 2014, Daniel Ricciardo beat Sebastian Vettel in the same car, which made the four-time world champion want to move to another team. Although the Australian switched to Renault in 2019 and then McLaren in 2021, his performances have had a downward trajectory, resulting in the future of his career being discussed. Addressing speculations about him, the 33-year-old recently confirmed on social media that he will not be walking away from the sport at the end of 2022.