Red Bull advisor Helmut Marko has revealed that the team has noticed the absence of Daniel Ricciardo. Ricciardo left Red Bull at the end of 2018 and joined Renault in a shock move.

Red Bull missing Daniel Ricciardo

Daniel Ricciardo debuted in F1 for HRT in 2011 while still being contracted to Red Bull. The Australian then moved to Torro Rosso for 2 seasons before making his debut for the Milton-Keynes outfit. He finished third in the Drivers’ standings in his first season at Red Bull.

Many fans see Ricciardo as the most entertaining driver on the grid. The Aussie is adored for his quirky persona and antics-both on and off the track. Ricciardo is also widely admired for his fearless driving style- trademarked by his late braking skill.

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Ricciardo’s relationship with the team began to decline with Max Verstappen’s arrival. The young and hungry Dutchman won his first race with the Red Bull and it was a sign of things to come. Verstappen and Ricciardo shared a rocky relationship on track but were good pals once the helmet came off. This resulted in the duo clashing multiple times on track leaving Red Bull with a headache.

Red Bull had to choose between Verstappen and Ricciardo and the team ultimately chose the former. For Ricciardo, things had reached a breaking point. In 2018, the Aussie signed a deal with French team Renault- a move that nobody saw coming.

Red Bull’s #2 driver problem

Red Bull has struggled to find a suitable replacement ever since. The team took a gamble on Frenchman Pierre Gasly- but this didn’t pay off. Gasly struggled throughout the season, prompting Red Bull to replace him with rookie Alex Albon. Albon did exceedingly well but is no Daniel Ricciardo.

Verstappen’s teammates have struggled to get anywhere close to the Dutchman’s qualifying and race pace.

Speaking to Motorsport-Magazin.com, Marko said: “The atmosphere in the team is good, but it is not as jovial since he went,”

“He is also one of the fastest drivers and can catch up excellently when he needs to. And his jokes are also missed,”

“It was a bit of a shock to the whole team when he went to Renault,”

Marko also had words of praise for Alexander Albon – “He joined the team without having tested the car and he was in the points at every race except Brazil, where he was hit by Hamilton.”

Red Bull will be hoping for a stronger performance from Albon in 2020. With the latest reports indicating massive gains by Honda, Red Bull may be the team to beat.