Ricciardo has to go

Mateschitz deal broken: Was that the end for him?

Daniel Ricciardo (l.) and Didi Mateschitz had actually agreed to extend his contract in 2018.(Bild: GEPA)

It is quite possible that Daniel Ricciardo's departure from Racing Bulls goes hand in hand with the end of his Formula 1 career. Dr. Helmut Marko is convinced that his career could have gone in a completely different direction. If only he had stuck to the handshake deal with Didi Mateschitz ...

As the Red Bull motorsport consultant explained in a YouTube video published by "Formel1.de" on Thursday, he met with Ricciardo in Graz in 2018 to discuss a contract extension with Red Bull Racing. The Australian agreed with a handshake at the time. He then traveled to Salzburg to give bull boss Didi Mateschitz his yes-word.

Mateschitz annoyed
However, Ricciardo reneged on his promise to sign a new contract with the Austrian racing team and surprisingly signed up with Renault - much to Mateschitz's displeasure. "He was very keen to make sure that you stick to what you sign with a handshake," says Marko.

"That was the turning point in his career," the Styrian is convinced. In any case, the hoped-for success at Renault did not materialize, while the relationship with Red Bull cooled considerably. It was only after Mateschitz's death in 2022 that Ricciardo returned to the bull team, driving for the second team AlphaTauri, which later raced as Racing Bulls. However, the now 35-year-old was unable to repeat his old successes (seven victories with Red Bull, one with McLaren) and so the Australian's Formula 1 chapter probably ended after the Singapore Grand Prix. Who knows what would have happened if Ricciardo had stuck to his agreement with Mateschitz ...