“It’s better for Daniel Ricciardo”– Max Verstappen feels that $16.7 Million layoff would help his former teammate to steer different directions

"It's better for Daniel Ricciardo to pursue a different direction"- Max Verstappen feels that 33-year old former Red Bull teammate leaving McLaren was good for him

Max Verstappen feels that Daniel Ricciardo leaving McLaren was the right decision since their cars did not suit him at all.

Ricciardo joined McLaren in 2021 in a move that most people saw as perfect on paper. On the complete contrary, his move to the Woking outfit turned out to be a complete disaster.

Other than his 2021 Italian GP victory, he has been comprehensively outperformed by his young teammate Lando Norris. This led to McLaren making a tough call on the Aussie’s future. Despite having another year left on his contract, they announced that Ricciardo would leave them after the remaining nine races of the 2022 campaign.

Several figures in F1 have extended support to Ricciardo and hope that he stays in the sport. The likes of Sebastian Vettel and Lewis Hamilton feel that he should have been given more time. 2021 Champion Max Verstappen, however, feels that moving away from McLaren was the right decision.

The main reason behind this was the fact that Ricciardo was not at all suited to the McLaren car.

Also read: “It takes time to build relationships”: Lewis Hamilton feels 33-year old Daniel Ricciardo should’ve been given more time at McLaren

Max Verstappen extends support to former Red Bull teammate Daniel Ricciardo

Verstappen and Ricciardo were teammates at Red Bull from 2016 to 2018. It was Verstappen’s emergence as the team’s number-one driver that made Ricciardo leave the Austrian team in the first place. Since then, his career has gone downhill, but there is still a lot of time for him to show just how he good he is, according to Verstappen.

Ricciardo was a seven-time race winner with Red Bull in a time when the sport was dominated by Mercedes. These accolades are enough for any team to understand just how good the Perth-born driver can be, behind the wheels of a car he’s comfortable in.

“Sometimes a car cannot suit your driving style,” Verstappen said ahead to Motorsport. “If it doesn’t work out it is better to maybe pursue a different direction, whatever that is”.

“But he’s a great guy, he’s shown he’s an amazing driver,” the Dutchman continued. “He’s won his races. I hope he stays in Formula 1.”

Verstappen is currently 80 points ahead of Charles Leclerc in the Drivers’ Standings and is the favorite to win the 2022 World Championship. Ricciardo meanwhile is P12 in the standings with just 19 points to his name. Where the latter ends up come 2023, is yet to be seen.

Also read: “McLaren failed to extract the potential Daniel Ricciardo has”: Sebastian Vettel defends 33-year old former Red Bull teammate

Post Edited By: Tanish Chachra
Daniel Ricciardo Max Verstappen McLaren Red Bull

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Somin Bhattacharjee

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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