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Christian Horner has disclosed that he had hoped Daniel Ricciardo would complete the season, but Helmut Marko was insistent on replacing the Australian after the Barcelona weekend.
Acknowledging that Ricciardo’s lack of consistency was his downfall, Horner stated that as his chances of returning to a top team diminished, so did his chances of keeping his seat at RB, with Marko pushing for his removal.
“I believe it was due to his inconsistency,” Horner revealed on the F1 Nation podcast. “He had a rough start to the season, followed by a mixed weekend in Miami. It seemed like the Daniel of old, but then had a disastrous Saturday afternoon and Sunday.”
“Around Barcelona, Helmut wanted him out of the car,” Horner admitted.
“There was already pressure on him, but it was Jacques Villeneuve who really fired him up in Montreal,” the Red Bull boss continued. “Daniel responded by driving aggressively and putting together a strong race weekend, so I suggested calling Jacques before every race because it seemed to motivate him!
“I did my best to give him time to improve,” Horner said, “otherwise he would have been replaced after Barcelona.”
“All drivers are under pressure to perform, but Daniel was there as a backup plan in case Checo didn’t deliver. However, both drivers had form issues at different times,” he explained. “There was never a compelling reason to switch them.”
“I hoped he could bounce back and complete his story, but it wasn’t meant to be,” Horner admitted. “Daniel knows he gave it his best shot and had a great career, but the next chapter didn’t materialize.”
Horner confirmed that Ricciardo has been offered an ambassadorial role with the team, similar to David Coulthard, noting his charisma and entertainment value.
Regarding Lawson, Perez, and 2025…
“We need to consider the bigger picture in terms of drivers,” Horner stated. “With six races left, it’s a good time to evaluate Liam alongside Yuki to assess his performance.”
“This decision affects Red Bull Racing,” he added. “We have a contract with Sergio for next year, but we always need to look ahead. Will Liam be the next choice, or do we need to explore other options? Will one of the junior drivers like Isack Hadjar or Arvid Lindblad step up in the future?”
And then there’s George Russell…
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