Daniel Ricciardo of Red Bull Racing Formula 1 team will be leaving after 6 years to join Renault. Having had to contend against the younger Max Verstappen, the move is seen to be due to contract negotiations which point that it was possible that Daniel didn’t get the figure he was aiming for.
Aston Martin Red Bull Racing Team Principal Christian Horner said: “We fully respect Daniel’s decision to leave Aston Martin Red Bull Racing and we wish him all the best in his future. We would like to thank him for his dedication and the role he has played since joining the Team in 2014, the highlights, of course, being the seven wins and the 29 podiums he has achieved so far with us.
“We will now continue to evaluate the numerous options available to us before deciding on which driver partners Max Verstappen for the 2019 season. In the meantime, there are still nine races left in 2018 and we are fully focused on maximising every opportunity for Max and Daniel for the remainder of the season.”
Jérôme Stoll, President, Renault Sport Racing said, “Renault decided to come back to Formula One to fight for World Championships. Signing Daniel Ricciardo is a unique opportunity for the Groupe Renault towards this objective that could not be missed. We welcome Daniel’s arrival to our team, still in the making, but more motivated than ever.”
We are delighted to announce that @danielricciardo will join @RenaultSportF1 as race driver from 2019. Full report ? https://t.co/9LUkd22abr#RSspirit pic.twitter.com/OIXUbjIoRm
— Renault Sport F1 (@RenaultSportF1) August 3, 2018
“It was probably one of the most difficult decisions to take in my career so far. But I thought that it was time for me to take on a fresh and new challenge. I realise that there is a lot ahead in order to allow Renault to reach their target of competing at the highest level but I have been impressed by their progression in only two years, and I know that each time Renault has been in the sport they eventually won. I hope to be able to help them in this journey and contribute on and off track,” said Daniel Ricciardo.
The twenty-nine-year-old Daniel, who hails from Perth, Australia, joins Renault Sport Formula One Team for the next two seasons starting from 2019. Daniel has secured seven Grands Prix wins and stepped onto the podium 29 times. He is already very familiar with the Renault family, having driven in Renault junior series between 2007 and 2011 and has been powered by Renault engines in F1 since 2014.
