Christian Horner has claimed that Daniel Ricciardo could have been Formula 1 World Champion at Red Bull had circumstances been different.
The Australian was brought through the Milton Keynes-based squad’s junior driver programme, and was promoted to the full Red Bull team in 2014.
Replacing the retiring Mark Webber, Ricciardo was expected to be a number two driver to Sebastian Vettel, but the Australian had other ideas.
Ricciardo took the team by storm, providing the ‘B Plot’ to the dominant Mercedes narrative of the year, winning three races and a further five podium finishes, to end the year third in the Drivers’ title, ahead of Vettel.
After a winless 2015, Ricciardo returned to winning ways in 2016, by which time he was paired with Max Verstappen, a fellow Toro Rosso promotee.
The pair forged a good partnership, but a clash at the Azerbaijan Grand Prix was the precursor to his eventual exit from the team, joining Renault.
Two years at the Enstone-based team was followed by two at McLaren, scoring the final win of his career at Monza in 2021.
After being replaced by countryman Oscar Piastri, Ricciardo was left out in the cold, and returned via his old Faenza stomping ground, now named AlphaTauri.
Replacing the axed Nyck de Vries, Ricciardo was given a full-time seat for 2024, but with the prospect of Liam Lawson looming large, he did not last the season.
The Singapore Grand Prix heralded his final race in F1, in what was an emotional farewell, taking fastest lap of the race in the process.
Horner: ‘F1 misses Daniel Ricciardo’
Horner, set to begin a speaking tour of Australia prior to the start of the new F1 season – kicking off in the country – reflected on his former driver, and showed regret that the team was never quite able to produce a car to match his talent.
“Daniel’s just a great guy,” he said. “He lights up a room when he walks in it. He’s got a big personality, a big heart. Very sensitive guy. I just clicked him.
“He was a wonderful driver.
“Unfortunately, the car at the time where he was at his peak, we didn’t have the most competitive car on the grid.
“I think if we had, he could have been a world champion. A great guy, and I think the sport misses Daniel.”
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