“Just two years ago he was the second World Champion”: Nico Rosberg questions Daniel Ricciardo’s downfall in Formula 1 since leaving Red Bull

Daniel Ricciardo spent the best part of his F1 career when he was at Red Bull between 2014 and 2018. The Aussie won seven with the Milton-Keynes-based outfit but left in search of a team that could help him reach further in his career.

Initially, he joined Renault and stayed at Enstone for two years. However, the French team could only provide him with a car that could fight for points so he shifted to Woking to drive for McLaren. His move to the British outfit turned out to be a nightmare as he spent a difficult two years being comprehensively outperformed by teammate Lando Norris.

Midway into the 2022 season, McLaren announced that Ricciardo would leave at the end of the year. The 33-year-old was left without a seat for 2023 and ended up returning to Red Bull as a third driver for the upcoming season.

After spending four seasons away from them, Ricciardo’s return to Red Bull has led to people wondering if he regrets leaving in the first place. Nico Rosberg for one certainly thinks so.

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Daniel Ricciardo did not have a choice but to return to Red Bull, says Nico Rosberg

During his time with Red Bull, Ricciardo was seen as one of the biggest talents in F1. His first stint with the Austrian squad overlapped with Mercedes’ era of dominance in the sport, but he still managed to get 7 race wins and 29 podiums with them. Some people even suggested that with the right car he could win the World Championship.

Unfortunately, his choice of leaving Red Bull ultimately led to a downfall that 2016 World Champion Nico Rosberg can’t fully comprehend. He also sympathizes with the Perth-born driver for finding difficulties with the car at McLaren.

“It’s a difficult one with Daniel,” he said to Sky Sports. “Just two years ago he was the next World Champion. The next big thing, huge hype, and now he’s exiting the sport like that. It’s so tough.”

Talking about him returning to Red Bull, Rosberg said that Ricciardo did not have much of a choice.

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Rosberg reminds fans how Ricciardo beat Sebastian Vettel in same car

Ricciardo had Sebastian Vettel as his teammate in his first year at Red Bull back in 2014. Despite arriving and going up against a reigning four-time World Champion, Ricciardo managed to finish ahead of him come the end of the season. Rosberg reminded fans of just how good Ricciardo can be if he has the right car at his disposal.

“He is the one who beat Sebastian Vettel in the same car,” he added. “Let’s remember that, over the whole season fair and square back at Red Bull.”

Ricciardo finished the 2022 season in 11th place, with 37 points to his name.