Good prediction! He can’t really have any complaints given the lack of performance, but it’s weird, how since he left RedBull he’s not really been able to perform at three different teams. I wonder how bothered Seb really was in 2014, but nevertheless Daniel was impressive in his first year at RedBull and in his early time paired with Max, it’s a shame for us and him, that we didn’t see a bit more of that and in retrospect he probably did the wrong thing running away from Max. Given the way he’s been talking, I guess he has no chance of the final Audi seat and this is the last we’ll see of him in the sport.
That’s why a part of me wondered if Texas may be his swansong . I think he would love and be good at Indy Car or NASCAR .
Yes I think that’s the end of him racing in F1 . I used to think he was really funny , but over time I wondered if part of him was trying to shock people . The Shoey . Asking at a press conference if Lando had pubes yet . He does seem really likeable , but those 2 things just make me wonder .
Only adds to the sense of chaos at Red Bull. It was only two months ago they were on the verge of dropping Perez and promoting Daniel! Ricciardo hasn't been his old self for four years, so it probably is around the right time to stop. It does feel harsh for it to happen mid-season though. He'd earned the chance to do donuts in Abu Dhabi
Danny Ricc has almost had two careers. Pre Lockdown Post Lockdown. He was pretty good for Red Bull in the years when Merc dominated so was a welcome underdog of the era. He was exceptional at Renault IMO, doing a grand job in a car that wasn’t really a podium contender but he grabbed two I believe for Cyril, leading to the tatoo! He then really struggled in the McLaren despite a fabulous win in Monza- he never gelled there and he’s only shown glimpses in an albeit useless Toro Rosso since then. That said, Tsunoda has beat him fair and square. I think we might see that Lawson isn’t the e young superstar people think he is based on one race but he deserves a shot. It’s sad however to lose Ricciardo when the likes of Perez, Stroll, Ocon continue to mill around. I still think the right team and environment could have relit the fire- Williams was where I fancied he’d be a great fit but Sainz has taken up that opportunity. Who knows- let’s see if any doors reopen but if not, it’s been a good ride Danny Ricc!
I do wonder if his main problem stems from how he liked his brakes. I think in the Red Bull and maybe even earlier in it's sister Torro Rosso (year older Red Bull) just had brakes that gave him the feel to brake late. When he went to Renault/Alpine I remember them changing brake component manufacturers to try and help. I think IF he has a car he feels comfortable in he's great but when the car is not operating in his window then he just can't adapt. I do like him as a driver on the grid, he has a bit more personality than some of the corporate youngsters coming in. F1 needs characters we have lost quite a few recently. I hope Danny finds another racing series that suits him - I am a bit peeved, as I am sure he is, to not see him have his final race in Austin. He just seems to fit in so well there.
There’s a lot of issues with Ocon and I do think he’s the wrong choice for Haas, especially given they really need someone who will develop the car and support and nurture Bearman, but he is fast and the only teammate other than Hamilton to give Alonso any trouble at all. He’d probably have been a better fit for Audi, because I think the Hulk is one of those drivers who wouldn’t be phased by his less desirable traits. The story going round seems to be that this RB drive is an audition for Lawson to go to RBR in place of Perez next year. If that’s true who fills the RB seat? Sergio is under contract, but it’s hard to see him going there and Daniel’s out of contract and I can’t see him going back again? None of the established drivers without a seat seem like a good fit either. I do want to see Colapinto on the grid somewhere, but I don’t see RB being the spot for him either, he’d be much better off under Nico’s wing at Audi imho. RBR seems like a step too far for Lawson next year anyway so I guess it will all resolve itself with Liam at RB and RBR keeping Sergio for one more year?
I must agree with you about him running away from Max,that was the beginning of the end really. If you want to win a World Championship you`ve got to stay and fight and fight. As Winston Churchill once said "When you are going through hell,keep going"
I am quite looking forward to seeing some new talent enter the grid next year. Disappointed for Danny, he did beat Ocon at Renault. I feel when Danny starts to enjoy racing again he will show his talent. Not convinced he has been naturally motivated after the disappointment he felt about the Renault in he had in the second year. I remember the criticism of the design, looking like some new with some old bolted on. I think he felt Renault let him down with the car evolution. I really hope 2026 messes the grid up with teams with new backers. But Danny brought some fun antics in his motivated years.
I'm not sure about this. I feel he had no choice but to try his luck outside of RBR. It was pretty clear the team were putting all their eggs in the Max basket and he'd forever be the number 2. I think he did the right thing, it's just unfortunate it didn't work out.
I doubt that there was any route to a WDC - he was never going to beat Max long term and the door to Merc was never open to him. The move to Renault was surely the right choice financially and I’m sure his career has been made more interesting as well by the journey he’s been on, whereas staying at RedBull would probably have been worth a couple of wins a year on average.
Yeah, I think Baku made his mind up, it was the third time Max had smashed into him to stop being overtaken and then RBR showing their colours by defending Max afterwards.
Ricciardo ended up with a long term deal at a team that was going to rise into a championship contention and wouldn't have to deal with Max anymore. Renault may have been an error, but signing with McLaren when he did should been a masterstroke. Sadly, It was his driving that let him down. The decision making was fine.
There is also the hope that you can move to Renault at the right time, and help them take another title. I doubt he made the move for financial reasons, but saw a potential opportunity. He's unfortunately found himself in the wrong place at the wrong time with pretty good consistency
I know my opinion about Newey not necessarily being the difference that he once was is not an opinion shared by many. But an example of my thinking, I was reading about Quantum computing on Sunday. Having worked at IBM for decades it was a topic I found interesting. Lots of stats but 2 I think are relevant. 1. Quantum computing can do in 20 seconds what it would take a super computer 10,000 YEARS. 2. The guy they interviewed said they were using quantum computing for a motor racing company, seeking to gain an advantage. He didn't say which motor sport in particular but I would hazard a guess F1. To get an idea of the game changing ability of quantum computing: Atom Computing last year built a record-breaking machine containing 1,180 qubits. The number of entangled states on its processor — 2¹¹⁸⁰ — is mind-bogglingly large, greater even than the number of atoms in the known universe. Shouldn't beach the cost cap rules either, you can rent a quantum computer's capability for $96 per minute. Remember that would be the equivalent of 30,000 years of a super computer. The world is a changing place.
World is definitely changing but someone still has to program a model and then test in a full scale wind tunnel to correlate the model. F1 aren't allowed full scale tunnels so the correlation will be difficult. I know when I worked on jet and gas turbine testing that the engineers models where consistently out compared to real test measurements. So while having more computer power will speed up the modelling it's the actual model that's the tricky thing to get 100% correct. I do wonder if AI would be capable to 'learning' and tweaking or even creating a model, as you can feed it lots of data but could it correlate it to real world as the driver is a big variable. It's certainly an interesting time we are living in.
Yes, I remember, you used to work at Rolls Royce. I agree with your synopsis, essentially garbage in, garbage out. Assuming that can be sorted, then you have a game changer. I have at various stages been involved in software development, programmers don't always grasp it. AI, as you say, may help solve that weakness.
I worked on RR gas turbines and jets (& other manufacturers) but I was employed by Gov AI is a very interesting aspect of it all, I'm sure a lot of companies will be looking very hard at it.
Renault engine programme ending in 2025 with the people working on the new engine being redeployed to other projects. I’m glad no-one is losing their jobs, and whilst on the one hand the performance during this era has somewhat made this a very defensible decision, it’s a shame to lose a manufacturer and that they won’t have a chance to redeem themselves under the new rules.
