Formula 1: Daniel Ricciardo discusses leaving Red Bull Racing for Renault

Daniel Ricciardo has opened up about signing with Renault Sport for the 2019 Formula 1 season, which will cause him to leave Red Bull Racing.

Aston Martin Red Bull Racing’s Daniel Ricciardo made a shocking decision to sign a two-year contract with Renault Sport. The 29-year-old Australian is set to begin driving for the team in the 2019 Formula 1 after his fifth season and fifth consecutive season driving for Red Bull Racing comes to a close following the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix on the Sunday after Thanksgiving.

Ricciardo started with Red Bull Racing’s junior program in the 2008 season and test drove for the team for the first time in 2009 during the young drivers test at Circuito de Jerez in Spain. He also test drove for the team in 2010 during the young drivers test at Yas Marina Circuit, the host of the Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, in the United Arab Emirates.

Ricciardo’s entire full-time career in Formula 1 has been spent within the Red Bull Racing organization. He test drove for Scuderia Toro Rosso, the Red Bull Racing junior team, for the first eight races of the 2011 season before driving in the season’s final 11 races for HRT.

More from Formula One

In the 2012 season, Ricciardo landed his first full-time ride in Formula 1, which was with Toro Rosso. He drove for the team in the 2012 and 2013 seasons before being promoted to Red Bull Racing as Mark Webber’s replacement in the 2014 season. He has driven for the team ever since.

Over the course of his Formula 1 career, Ricciardo has racked up seven victories and 28 podium finishes. All seven of those victories and all 28 of those podium finishes have come during his time as a Red Bull Racing driver. He recorded career-high finishes of third place in the driver standings in the 2014 and 2016 seasons.

So far this season, Ricciardo sits in fifth place in the Formula 1 driver standings with two podium finishes. Both of those podium finishes were victories, as he won the Chinese Grand Prix and the Monaco Grand Prix.

Here is a video of Ricciardo discussing leaving Red Bull Racing for Renault starting in the 2019 season.

A change is gonna come. Excited for the next chapter with @RenaultSportF1. Thank you for the kind messages and well wishes I've received. pic.twitter.com/2qpKYYGGvH
— Daniel Ricciardo (@danielricciardo) August 4, 2018

Here is the text of Ricciardo’s message.

"“Hey everyone. The news is out, it’s real. By far the toughest decision I’ve made in my racing career, but 29 years living on this earth, it was actually one of the toughest life decisions I’ve made.“Sad to move on, absolutely. Excited for the challenge at Renault, but it’s been a 10-year journey with Red Bull. I was on the junior program in 2008, and some amazing memories from there, things that I’ll always be grateful for and I’ll never forget that ride.“Personally I felt it was a time now where it was good for me to move on and have a fresh start somewhere else. I think it will be healthy for me. Excited for what lies ahead with Renault, but just want to thank Red Bull Racing, Red Bull the company, for everything they’ve done for me. I really appreciate it, from the bottom of my heart, and we’ve got nine races left, nine or ten, to kick some a***, so let’s get it.”"

Next. Top 10 Formula 1 drivers of all-time. dark

Do you believe that Daniel Ricciardo will have success driving for Renault next season and beyond that after driving within the Red Bull Racing organization throughout the entirety of his full-time Formula 1 career thus far?

Home/Formula One