**‘Selfish’ Daniel Ricciardo Has a ‘Permanent Timing Problem’ in F1 Career, Says Former Boss**
Former Renault F1 boss Cyril Abiteboul has criticized Daniel Ricciardo, labeling him “selfish” for how he exited the team at the end of the 2020 season. Abiteboul believes Ricciardo has a pattern of making poor career decisions, claiming he left both Renault and McLaren prematurely.
Ricciardo shocked the F1 community when he left race-winning Red Bull in 2018 to join Renault on a lucrative contract. After a difficult first season at Renault in 2019, Ricciardo secured two podiums during the disrupted 2020 season, although he had already committed to McLaren for the following year. While he ended McLaren’s nine-year winless streak at Monza in 2021, his time with the team was largely challenging, leading to the termination of his contract at the end of last year. Since then, McLaren has emerged as a strong competitor against 2023 World Champions Red Bull.
Abiteboul expressed frustration over Ricciardo’s decision to leave Renault before even starting his second season, reflecting on this in a podcast appearance. He stated, “He makes his decision in April or May; the world is at a standstill, and we don’t know how we’re going to get back on track. It’s a very early move, a bit selfish, because it only gave the team one season’s chance, and I take it badly.”
When asked if he took Ricciardo’s choice personally, Abiteboul replied, “Of course, because I see it as a personal rejection.”
Abiteboul noted that Ricciardo struggled to adjust to the midfield car after being used to winning with Red Bull, citing a particularly poor race in Baku as a low point. He explained, “The team was still in the process of getting organized, and he was coming from a winning environment, which felt like a demotion.”
He added, “2019 was horrendous for him, making mistake after mistake. I didn’t expect it to be this difficult, especially with the pandemic affecting our plans, and Ricciardo deciding to leave at the end of that year.”
Abiteboul acknowledged that Haas had a more successful season than anticipated in 2020 and reflected on Ricciardo’s early departure. He said, “At some point, you have to bounce back. Ricciardo always has a timing problem: he left us too early and left McLaren too early.”
Abiteboul, who departed Renault at the end of 2020, admitted that he signed Ricciardo too soon in the team’s development, which put his position at risk. Reflecting on signing Ricciardo, he said, “I knew deep down it was too soon, and I toasted the signing knowing I might be sacked in two years.”
Currently, Abiteboul serves as the team principal for Hyundai’s World Rally Championship team and has led them to two victories in 2023. He has also faced challenges following the tragic death of driver Craig Breen and recently secured the signing of 2019 World Champion Ott Tanak, who will rejoin Hyundai in 2024.
Leave a Reply