Daniel Ricciardo Says Decision To Leave Renault For McLaren Was Not Easy

Daniel Ricciardo said the shift from Renault to McLaren was not an easy choice but he did not make the decision overnight.

Speaking to Essentially Sports, he suggested that he would not have made the decision so early had the races gone on as scheduled. "It is Bizzare that I made this decision, since we have only tested once this year in Barcelona. Ideally, I would have driven a couple of races before I made a decision,” he said.

Ricciardo said McLaren was the best option out of the alternatives he was provided during testing.

Essentially Sports said Renault may have been plagued with aerodynamic and reliability problems, but Ricciardo managed some solid performances. The best race took place last season in Italy where he managed to finish fourth.

It was also the highest point tally that Renault got last season during a single race as Nico Hulkenberg placed fifth.

Daniel Ricciardo still has the 2020 season with Renault, and he has indicated that he would like to leave on a high note. The question is whether Renault will supply a car that can do it.

Ricciardo has indicated several times that formula 1 cars should be on a level playing field. He has vent out his frustration that Formula 1 fortune was tied to being in the right team. He compared the race to a chess game in which the players knew who was going to be the best.

Before racing with Renault, Ricciardo raced with Red Bull for four years.

Before the McLaren announcement, Ricciardo had been in talks with Ferrari for several years, and many assumed that he would be the best replacement for Sebastian Vettel.

Vettel is expected to exit Ferrari at the end of the 2020 championship season.