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“I have full confidence that Daniel Ricciardo will regret his decision”- F1 Twitter remembers Cyril Abiteboul’s prediction on 8-time race winner’s downfall

Somin Bhattacharjee
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"I have full confidence that Daniel Ricciardo will regret his decision"- F1 Twitter remembers Cyril Abiteboul's prediction on 8-time race winner's downfall

Former Alpine boss Cyril Abiteboul insisted that  Daniel Ricciardo will regret leaving the French team for McLaren in the future.

Abiteboul was one of the most popular team bosses in the paddock. He was the team principal of Alpine, back when they were still known as Renault, and was in charge when they signed Ricciardo.

Ricciardo left Red Bull in 2019 to join a team with whom he could compete for the Title. His destination turned out to be Renault, which surprised many considering the fact that they weren’t fast enough. Ricciardo was pretty consistent during his time with the Enstone-based outfit but the machinery he had at his disposal was not enough to fulfill his ambitions.

The Aussie managed two podium finishes in his two seasons with Renault, but in 2020 decided that he will leave. His destination was revealed to be McLaren and this was a move that everyone saw as a perfect match. The only person who predicted this move going wrong was Abiteboul.

Also read: “What the f*****g hell were you doing on the road?” – When 7-time world champion Michael Schumacher ran over a civilian

Abiteboul had full confidence that Daniel Ricciardo would regret his decision

Abiteboul was a popular figure in Netflix’s famous Drive to Survive series. There, his 2020 season in F1 and his relationship with Ricciardo were very well documented. It was there that Abiteboul insisted that Ricciardo would regret making the switch to McLaren.

Ricciardo was not unhappy at Renault but wanted to join a team that looked like they would compete for the Championship in the coming years.

His teammate at McLaren was going to be Lando Norris, who is one of the most exciting prospects. In spite of all this promise, however, Ricciardo’s move to McLaren turned out to be a colossal failure.

He had a thoroughly underwhelming spell with the Woking-based outfit other than his win in Monza last year. McLaren decided that it was time to pull the plug and earlier this week they announced that the Perth born driver would leave them at the end of the campaign. It was a mutual decision according to Ricciardo, but it led to fans reminiscing Abiteboul’s words back in 2020.

The honey badger is currently P12 in the Drivers’ Standings with just 19 points to his name.

Also read: When 7-time World Champion Michael Schumacher suffered 135 mph bike accident

About the author

Somin Bhattacharjee

Somin Bhattacharjee

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Basketball Editor Somin Bhattacharjee first discovered the game during the 2014 FIBA World Cup. Not long after, he turned to the NBA and found himself drawn to the Golden State Warriors — right at the start of Stephen Curry’s rise. Over time, the admiration turned into full-blown support for the team, one that continues even as the Curry era approaches its twilight. A true hoophead, Somin also follows EuroLeague basketball closely and enjoys exploring the game beyond the NBA. Though holding a bachelor's degree in marketing, Somin discovered his true calling in writing. Since 2021, he has penned over 3,000 articles for TheSportsRush, covering everything from breaking news to sharp opinion pieces and detailed exclusives. He thrives on writing about in-game moments and the reactions that make basketball a uniquely emotional sport. Beyond basketball, Somin plays different sports including soccer and remains a passionate fan of Spanish football giants Real Madrid

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