David Coulthard reveals why Daniel Ricciardo’s ‘trajectory’ was cut short

One of the brightest talents in Formula 1, Daniel Ricciardo wasn’t able to evolve as he changed teams, and that was his undoing in Formula 1.

That’s according to 13-time grand prix winner David Coulthard.

Daniel Ricciardo came and went without a World title

A Red Bull-backed driver, Ricciardo made his F1 debut as a mid-season replacement for HRT when he replaced Narain Karthikeyan for the final 11 races of the 2011 season.

He joined Red Bull’s sister team, then known as Toro Rosso, in 2012 before being promoted to Red Bull Racing in 2014 where, unexpectedly, he beat his four-time World Champion team-mate Sebastian Vettel by 238 points to 167 and won three grands prix.

It was tipped to be the start of his rise to F1 World Champion. A rise that never happened.

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Red Bull faltered following the introduction of turbocharged V6 engines, the team struggling to challenge for race wins as Mercedes came to the fore. And so did Max Verstappen.

Joining Red Bull in early 2016 as he replaced Daniil Kyvat, Verstappen laid down his marker as Red Bull’s future with Ricciardo, most notably after their Baku clash, feeling that.

Despite having a one-year Red Bull deal on the table for 2019, he left to join Renault but as that didn’t fare as expected, he joined McLaren before stepping down two years into his three-year deal.

It begs the question why didn’t it work for Ricciardo.

Coulthard simply puts it down to some drivers are able to adapt to evolving situations, and others are not.

“You see some drivers who evolve well,” he told the High Performance Podcast. “You see others who get affected by the success, and that affects their trajectory.

“I think Daniel Ricciardo would be an example of that.

“One of the bright young talents that arrived in Formula 1, one of the best overtakers of his generation, always exciting to watch.

“And then just suddenly, as he left Red Bull, Renault was OK, McLaren, Lando outperformed him in both years, even though Daniel won a race.

“And then it never really worked out again at AlphaTauri.

“Now he’s happily retired, I assume wealthy individual. But it all felt like it was condensed into too short a period.”

Leaving Red Bull after 2018, Ricciardo spent his final six years on the grid split over three different teams.

Asked why Ricciardo couldn’t rediscover his Red Bull with Renault, McLaren or even on his return to Red Bull’s second team, Coulthard reckons it all comes down to baggage.

“Life, you gain baggage as you go through life,” said the Scot.

“If you’re poor, that’s a Tesco bag with a few clothes inside. If you’re rich, it’s a Louis Vuitton, but it all has to be carried.

“So, whether it’s a baggage of wealth or whether it’s baggage of success, or whether it’s the baggage of poverty and difficulty, it’s got to be carried to try and get to the next opportunity.

“And for some people, maybe they’re not able to let go and actually take themselves back to the moment that was the freest point, that saw their performances at the highest level.”

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