Renault driver Daniel Ricciardo admitted that he could walk away from F1 if he feels a World Championship is out of grasp. The honey badger revealed that his ultimate goal in Formula 1 was to win a World Championship.
Daniel Ricciardo: Still searching for World Championships
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When Daniel Ricciardo announced that he would drive for Renault in 2019, there were 2 possibilities. One, the Aussie had successfully completed a strategic masterstroke by signing with a team that was an unknown. Or and the more realistic scenario, he would be squabbling way down the order for positions that don’t mean much. Unfortunately, the second situation came true.
In Formula 1 it’s rare to see a driver jump from a top drive to a midfield entity and immediately achieve success. Sadly, Ricciardo took the wrong gamble back in 2018 but he has one more chance to make things right. At 30 years of age, time’s running out for the honey badger and his next move could very well decide how and where his F1 career ends.
Ricciardo left Red Bull on his own accord due to his own reasons. But the fact remains that Red Bull was always going to be a better gamble than Renault with respect to wins and Championships. The F1 driver market is a volatile marketplace where drivers rarely get second chances. Ricciardo has a rare opportunity to make things right, for possibly the last time.
Recently, Ricciardo admitted that he would quit F1 if his chances at a World Championship slip away. Speaking to BBC Radio 5, Daniel said:
“My basic target with this whole journey was not just get into F1. It was to leave a world champion.
“But if it ended today would I be disappointed? A big part of me would be because it’s something I really believe I am good enough to achieve, so I would feel it has left smelting on the table.
“That is the ultimate goal. The day I stop believing I’m able to get that any more it is the day you’ll probably see me walk away from the sport”
“But I certainly still believe this can happen.”
Unfortunately, F1 is a largely car-dependent sport. A team could have world-class drivers but without the right machines, it’s all for nothing.
