BREAKING: Confused Marko Defends....Amid Ricciardo's F1 Exit.

Helmut Marko Defends Red Bull Amid Criticism of Daniel Ricciardo’s F1 Exit

Helmut Marko, Red Bull’s senior advisor, has responded to criticism regarding Daniel Ricciardo’s exit from Formula 1, stating that no other team would have given the Australian driver another chance in the sport. Marko’s defense comes amid growing scrutiny over the way Ricciardo’s departure from the Red Bull Racing stable was handled, particularly after the recent announcement that Liam Lawson will take his place for the remaining six races of the season.

Ricciardo, who rejoined Red Bull in 2023 after a difficult spell at McLaren, has been replaced by Lawson following a string of underwhelming performances. Despite being informed about his exit earlier, Red Bull waited until Thursday to officially announce the news. Lawson, who had been aware of the decision two weeks prior, is stepping into Ricciardo’s seat, marking what could be the end of Ricciardo’s illustrious career in Formula 1.

Reflecting on the situation, Marko emphasized that Red Bull gave Ricciardo a rare opportunity to return to the grid. “He was given a second chance that no one else would have given him,” Marko told SpeedWeek. “And that was under the premise that a return to Red Bull Racing was possible if he performed well enough.”

Ricciardo, who first made his mark with Red Bull between 2014 and 2018, winning seven races and building a reputation as one of the sport’s most exciting drivers, struggled to regain that form after his return. His return to the Red Bull family was seen as a final attempt to rediscover the spark that had made him one of the top drivers in the early 2010s. However, after 18 races, his performances were inconsistent, and his results were largely underwhelming. He was out-qualified 12 times by his AlphaTauri teammate Yuki Tsunoda and trailed Tsunoda by 10 points in the standings.

Marko pointed to Ricciardo’s lack of consistent results as a key reason behind Red Bull’s decision to replace him. “The necessary performance only came twice, once with a fourth place in the Miami Sprint this year and last year in Mexico,” he said. “But the speed wasn’t there, and the consistency was missing. The whole performance that would have justified a promotion to Red Bull Racing was missing.”

Red Bull had initially held out hope that Ricciardo could potentially return to the main team, but that prospect diminished as his performances failed to meet expectations. Marko reiterated that Ricciardo’s return to the top tier of Formula 1 would have been contingent on delivering the kind of results he had produced during his first stint with Red Bull.

Ricciardo’s decline in form has been puzzling for many, given his earlier reputation as a driver with a fearless approach to overtaking and late braking maneuvers. Marko acknowledged that this key aspect of Ricciardo’s driving seemed to be missing during his second stint with the team. “If we knew why the performance was not as good as it should be, we would have done everything we could to change that,” he explained. “But the same killer instinct was simply no longer evident. He was famous for his uncompromising overtaking and braking at the last point. But that was no longer the case either.”

Ricciardo’s career may now be at a crossroads, as Red Bull’s decision to replace him with Lawson suggests that the Australian may not have a future in the sport. While Ricciardo himself had hinted before the Singapore Grand Prix that it could be his last race, his demeanor following the event further fueled speculation that his time in Formula 1 could be over.

For Red Bull, the decision to move on from Ricciardo is part of its continued push to remain at the forefront of Formula 1, ensuring that its driver lineup remains as competitive as possible. Marko’s comments make it clear that, despite the criticism, Red Bull believes it made the right decision by giving Ricciardo a second chance, but ultimately had to prioritize performance and consistency above all else.